Since biogerontologist Denham Harman first posited that free radicals arising from the metabolic activity of oxygen play a central role in aging and disease, a mass of evidence has accumulated linking oxidative stress and biological degradation. We now understand that living in an aerobic environment inevitably leads to the production of free radicals that go on to attack biological membranes and lipoproteins via oxidation in a process called lipid peroxidation. Reacting with carbon-based molecules such as polyunsaturated fatty acids, these free radicals cause oxidative stress and tissue damage.

The purpose of Studies on Veterinary Medicine is to inform clinicians, students and others of the plethora of consequences that free radical damage (ROS) has on various cells, tissues, and organs, as well as in different species of animals. The chapters also analyze the effects of oxidative stress on aging and various morbidities such as diabetes, cognitive dysfunction and heart disease. Contributors variously present their interpretation of the role played by oxidative damage in disease and assess the benefits of antioxidant therapies.