Six out of every ten adults in the United States grapple with a chronic health condition, while four in ten contend with two or more. Among these conditions, the leading causes of disability and death are cardiovascular disease (CVD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic kidney disease (CKD), Alzheimer’s disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. Underlying these conditions is oxidative stress. It is also involved in the aging process and implicated in age-associated functional losses such as sarcopenia and frailty. Functional medicine utilizes oxidative stress markers to assess the equilibrium between antioxidants and free radicals within the body and reveal any potential imbalances and health risks.[signup]What is Oxidative Stress?Oxidative stress is the condition resulting from an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the body’s ability to neutralize them with antioxidants. Free radicals, or reactive oxygen species (ROS), are highly reactive molecules wit...
