Antioxidants and vitamins in your cardiac patient: are they helpful?

There is an intense interest in the use of antioxidants in the prevention and treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD). Oxidants or free radicals are necessary for human physiology, but excess of free radical formation and release can lead to vascular injury and lipid peroxidation. Some, but not all, studies show beneficial effect of exogenous antioxidants, primarily vitamin E, in patients with CAD. This article summarizes our current understanding of free radicals and their role in physiology and the role of antioxidants in disease prevention with special emphasis on the potential adverse effect of treatment of patients with large doses of antioxidants.