Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and antioxidants

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in the US, and its treatment cost lens of billions of dollars. Due to its slow, invisible development, prevention is the preferred treatment. The cause of the disease is altered metabolism of cirulatory lipids, i.e., LDL, which increases the lifetime of the particles. These older particles are much more suceptible to oxidative damage. High dietary fat levels can worsen the disease by altering metabolism, but dietary antioxidants may slow disease progression. The antioxidants found in wine, fruit, tea, and other foods may explain the association of their consumption with reduced disease mortality rates.