SOCIAL DETERMINANTS AND OXIDATIVE STRESS AMONG ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES – TWO FACETS OF THE SAME MATTER
SOCIAL DETERMINANTS AND OXIDATIVE STRESS AMONG ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES – TWO FACETS OF THE SAME MATTER

Summary/Abstract: CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE (CVD) IS THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF DEATH WORLDWIDE.[1] AND ITSPREVALENCE IS PREDICTED TO RISE EXPENDENTIALLY IN THE COMING YEARS. THERE IS A COMPLEXINTERPLAY BETWEEN THE UNDERLYING HEALTH DETERMINANTS THAT COULD TRIGGER ANYPATHOPHYSIOLOGICAL ABNORMALITY LEADING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF DISEASE[4]. THIS ARTICLEFOCUSES ON THE TWO WAY TICKET THAT IS OXIDATIVE STRESS (OS) AND SOCIAL DETERMINANTS IN THEDEVELOPMENT OF CVD.IT IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY CLEAR THAT SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN THEDEVELOPMENT OF CVD. IN ADDITION, A MULTITUDE OF RESEARCH PAPERS HAVE SHOWN DISADVANTAGEOUSSOCIAL FACTORS CAN TRIGGER AN INCREASE IN ROS PRODUCTION. OUR KNOWLEDGE OF hROS HAS EVOLVEDIN THE PAST DECADES TO THE POINT THAT WE NOW HAVE WELL DOCUMENTED EVIDENCE SUPPORTING THEROLE OF hROS (E.G. PEROXYNITRITE, HYPOCHLORITE, HYDROXYL RADICAL) IN THE MECHANISM OFENDOTHELIAL DYSFUNCTION, VASCULAR COMPLICATIONS, MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION, CONGESTIVE HEARTFAILURE AND STROKE[4].ON THE OTHER HAND, SOCIAL DETERMINANTS ARE YET ANOTHER FACET OF THE SAME MATTER. RECENT DATAEMPHASISES THE CAPACITY OF SOCIAL DETERMINANTS AND SOCIAL CONFIGURATION TO DETERMINE THEDEVELOPMENT OF CVD[3]. MOREOVER, THE DYNAMIC NATURE OF HOW THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT ACTSUPON DISEASE NECESSITATES AN INDEPTH INVESTIGATION.AS A CONSEQEUNCE, IN ORDER TO PROPERLY ADDRESS THE INCREASE IN CVD, BOTH PATHOPHYSIOLOGICALAND SOCIAL ASPECTS SHOULD BE TAKEN EQUALLY INTO CONSIDERATION.

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