title: Antioxidant Supplementation in the Treatment of Aging-Associated Diseases.
abstract: Oxidative stress is generally considered as the consequence of an imbalance between pro- and antioxidants species, which often results into indiscriminate and global damage at the organismal level. Elderly people are more susceptible to oxidative stress and this depends, almost in part, from a decreased performance of their endogenous antioxidant system. As many studies reported an inverse correlation between systemic levels of antioxidants and several diseases, primarily cardiovascular diseases, but also diabetes and neurological disorders, antioxidant supplementation has been foreseen as an effective preventive and therapeutic intervention for aging-associated pathologies. However, the expectations of this therapeutic approach have often been partially disappointed by clinical trials. The interplay of both endogenous and exogenous antioxidants with the systemic redox system is very complex and represents an issue that is still under debate. In this review a selection of recent clinical studies concerning antioxidants supplementation and the evaluation of their influence in aging-related diseases is analyzed. The controversial outcomes of antioxidants supplementation therapies, which might partially depend from an underestimation of the patient specific metabolic demand and genetic background, are presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno Baronissi, Italy.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Conti
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno Baronissi, Italy.
authors.forename: Viviana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Izzo
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise Campobasso, Italy.
authors.forename: Graziamaria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Corbi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno Baronissi, Italy.
authors.forename: Giusy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Russomanno
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno Baronissi, Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Manzo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Lise
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Donato
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno Baronissi, Italy.
authors.forename: Amelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Filippelli
keywords: hormesis; oxidative stress; resveratrol; sirtuins; vitamins