Total antioxidant activity in old age

The oxidative stress theory of aging offers the best mechanistic elucidation of the aging phenomenon and other age-related diseases. The susceptibility of an individual depends on the antioxidant status of the body. Objective of our study is to compare the antioxidant defense status in elderly individuals with the young people by measuring total antioxidant activity (AOA) in both the groups. Twenty five elderly people within the age group of 60± 10 yrs and 25 young individuals of 25 ± 7 yrs were chosen for the study. Sick and individuals on treatment were excluded from the study. Total AOA was estimated by a spectrophotometric method. We found a significant reduction in total AOA in elderly people with 1.06 ± 0.16 mmol/L as compared to 1.63 ± 0.25 mmol/L in young individuals. This reduction in AOA implies a defect in antioxidant system, may be due to a reduction in individual antioxidant or may be caused by a nonequilibrium or poor cooperation between them. Further studies need to be conducted to find out whether AOA levels can be used as a marker to predict any complications of old age.