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Received Jan 19, 2018; Revised Mar 15, 2018; Accepted Apr 2, 2018
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1. Introduction
The substantial increase in the number of elderly people in our societies represents a challenge for biology and medicine. The societies of the industrialized countries are subject to a progressive aging process that translates into an increase in the cardiovascular risk of the population. Aging is a multifactorial process in which numerous hypotheses have been postulated in order to explain the degenerative molecular processes that act in it [1, 2]. Harman in 1956 was the first to formulate the hypothesis that the biochemical processes generated largely by the cellular oxidative metabolism are responsible for numerous pathophysiological alterations and that could favor the molecular processes associated with aging [3].
The hypothesis of oxidative stress in aging refers to the completion of the genetic program that governs the sequence and duration of several ontogenetic phases and is linked to the expenditure of a defined sum of energy. The level of oxidative stress depends on the speed of generation of oxidants and antioxidant defense levels, which are genetically controlled but are also influenced by epigenetic factors. This oxidative stress exerts a regulatory influence on gene expression and is different at different stages of development [4]. Numerous studies show that, although the maximum lifetime could be altered by varying the metabolic rate, the total energy expended during life (metabolic potential) remains constant and is a characteristic of the species. A mechanism by which the metabolic rate influences the development and aging can be determined through modulations in the levels of oxidative stress [5].
Oxidative stress is a situation in which the cells are exposed to a prooxidant environment that can affect the homeostasis of the redox state. In parallel, the defensive antioxidant mechanisms were developed to counteract the action of reactive oxygen species (ROS) overgeneration, resulting in a tissue vulnerability against the action of these reactive molecules, which seem to participate in some degenerative processes of biological systems [6].
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