Antioxidants in Cardiovascular Therapy: Panacea or False Hope?

Oxidative stress is a key feature of the atherothrombotic process involved in the etiology of heart attacks, ischemic strokes, and peripheral arterial disease. It stands to reason that antioxidants represent a credible therapeutic option to prevent disease progression and thereby improve outcome, bu...

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Published inFrontiers in cardiovascular medicine Vol. 2; p. 29
Main Authors Goszcz, Katarzyna, Deakin, Sherine J, Duthie, Garry G, Stewart, Derek, Leslie, Stephen J, Megson, Ian L
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 06.07.2015
Subjects
Acetylcysteine
Allopurinol
Antioxidants
Cardiovascular Medicine
Carotenoids
Flavonoids
Minerals
polyphenols
carotenoids
vascular disease
antioxidants
vitamin C
vitamin E
allopurinol
N-acetylcysteine
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Summary:Oxidative stress is a key feature of the atherothrombotic process involved in the etiology of heart attacks, ischemic strokes, and peripheral arterial disease. It stands to reason that antioxidants represent a credible therapeutic option to prevent disease progression and thereby improve outcome, but despite positive findings from in vitro studies, clinical trials have failed to consistently show benefit. The aim of this review is to re-appraise the concept of antioxidants in the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease. In particular, the review will explore the reasons behind failed antioxidant strategies with vitamin supplements and will evaluate how flavonoids might improve cardiovascular function despite bioavailability that is not sufficiently high to directly influence antioxidant capacity. As well as reaching conclusions relating to those antioxidant strategies that might hold merit, the major myths, limitations, and pitfalls associated with this research field are explored.
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Edited by: Andrew James Webb, King’s College London, UK
Reviewed by: Suowen Xu, University of Rochester, USA; Vikas Kapil, Queen Mary University London, UK; Charlotte Elizabeth Mills, King’s College London, UK
Specialty section: This article was submitted to Cardiovascular Therapeutics, a section of the journal Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine
ISSN:2297-055X
2297-055X
DOI:10.3389/fcvm.2015.00029