Estresse oxidativo um fator chave do envelhecimento: uma revisão narrativa

Abstract

Aging is characterized by a decline in cognitive and functional capacity, compromising the functioning of the entire organism. However, it is necessary to consider that the beginning of all these changes originates within the cell. Among the most studied theories about aging is the "Oxidative Stress Theory of Aging," proposed by the American physician Denham Harman in the late 1950s and still one of the most accepted by the scientific community. The theory states that the organism ages because it accumulates reactive molecules over the years. These molecules, called free radicals, are capable of attacking membrane lipids, intracellular proteins, and even DNA, affecting the entire homeostasis of the organism. One of the main sources of reactive species is the mitochondria – a central organelle of cellular metabolism, responsible, for example, for ATP synthesis. This review article will examine the central role of free radicals in generating cellular damage, accelerating aging, and developing some of the most common diseases in the elderly population.