How to select patient candidates for antioxidant treatment?

In their excellent review, Steinberg and Witztum1 focused their attention on the different reasons why treatment with natural antioxidants has so far not convinced us that they may prevent atherosclerotic progression and its cardiovascular complications. The use of reliable biological markers of oxidative stress, identification of a population suitable for antioxidant treatment, and the choice of an adequate daily regimen of antioxidants are important points that would help us plan future trials with antioxidants. In accordance with the authors, we believe that knowledge of the intrinsic mechanism leading to LDL oxidation in vivo and the balance between oxidant stress and natural antioxidant defense is likely a crucial element for exploring the role of oxidative hypothesis in human pathology.