title: [Coronary heart disease, physical exercise and oxidative stress].
abstract: Cardiovascular diseases are the leaders in morbidity and mortality rates in Brazil and worldwide, being coronary heart disease (CHD) the cause of a large number of deaths and high expenditure on medical assistance. Quite a number of risk factors for CHD are directly related to endothelial dysfunction. Those risk factors induce decreased bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO), the increase of free radicals (FR), and increased endothelial activity. Those changes may lead to vasodilation impairment. Many interventions are performed to treat CHD. Pharmacological agents, a change in eating habits, nutritional supplements and physical exercise on a regular basis are some of those interventions. The benefits of physical exercise on a regular basis over endothelial function have been demonstrated in experiments with animals and humans. However, data in the literature are still controversial as to the required intensity level to result in significantly protective changes in endothelial function. Intense exercising is also related to higher oxygen consumption and to a resulting increase of oxygen free radicals (OFR).
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Fisiologia e Bioquímica do Exercício/Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Bairro Universitário, Criciúma, SC - Brazil. pinho@unesc.net
authors.forename: Ricardo Aurino de
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Pinho
authors.forename: Marília Costa de
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.forename: Gabriela Lima de Melo
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Ghisi
authors.forename: Magnus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benetti
mesh_terms: D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*