Oxidative Stress and Vascular Diseases: Effect of Physical Exercise

Abstract

Investigations have shown that worldwide the vascular diseases are considered inde- pendent risk factors for an increased mortality. Despite these diseases being related to factors such as sedentary lifestyle, poor diet and stress, the oxidative stress been the which most strongly explained the genesis of these vascular diseases. In this sense, the body of evidence involving an analysis and understanding of the factors and preventive variables of these diseases available in the literature is necessary. Considering this, we aimed to available information about the role of the oxidants and antioxidants enzymes in the prevention or causes of vascular diseases, and how the physical exercise can pre- vent the development of these vascular diseases. It was observed that endothelin-1 is an important oxidant involved in the atherosclerotic process, while the hydrogen sulfide and glutathione peroxidase have an antioxidant role. About the physical exercise, there is greater production of oxidants, however, as a mechanism of compensation, there is also greater production and release of antioxidants such as nitric oxide and glutathiones after some sessions when compared with the baseline. We conclude that the stress oxidative is involved in the vascular disease and the physical exercise could be used like prevention.