title: Clinical risk factors demonstrate an age-dependent relationship with oxidative stress biomarkers in African Americans.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the interaction of oxidative stress biomarkers with age, and also factors that influence oxidative stress such as body mass index (BMI) and fitness in a population of individuals with established higher risk of cardiovascular disease, African Americans.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood samples were obtained from healthy college-age and middle-age to older African Americans. Participants underwent a graded exercise test. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, total antioxidant capacity and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TBARS levels were significantly (P = .001) lower in young participants relative to middle-age to older participants. SOD activity was significantly (P = .001) lower in middle-age to older participants with low fitness relative to participants with normal fitness, and lower (P = .04) in middle-age to older participants that were overweight relative to normal weight participants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In a healthy middle-age to older population of African Americans, BMI and fitness are crucial for maintaining a healthy endothelium.
authors.affiliation: Hypertension, Molecular and Applied Physiology Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, School of Medicine, Temple University, 1800 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA. katie.sturgeon@temple.edu
authors.forename: Kathleen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Sturgeon
authors.forename: Deborah L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Feairheller
authors.forename: Keith M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Diaz
authors.forename: Sheara T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Williamson
authors.forename: Praveen
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Veerabhadrappa
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000032:analysis; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000032:analysis; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase