title: Prospects for the use of antioxidant therapies.
abstract: Free radical oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a variety of human diseases. Natural antioxidant defences have been found to be defective in many of the same diseases. This has led to suggestions that oxidative damage and therefore disease progression may be retarded by supplementing natural antioxidant defences. Potential antioxidant therapy includes natural antioxidant enzymes and vitamins or synthetic agents with antioxidant activity. Diseases where antioxidant therapy may be beneficial include diabetes mellitus, reperfusion injury, inflammatory diseases and the prevention of chronic processes such as atherosclerosis and carcinogenesis. Further well controlled prospective clinical trials of antioxidants are required to establish the efficacy and tolerability of antioxidant therapy in the treatment of human diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, England.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Maxwell
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D057487:Enzyme Therapy; D004798:Enzymes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D015444:Exercise; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005609:Free Radicals; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D004798:Enzymes; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D005609:Free Radicals