Our modern society is facing a worldwide phenomenon in terms of levels of inactivity and the effects that this phenomenon can cause in terms of the level of general health. There is an unquestionable need to increase awareness levels on this topic as it is directly related to the increase in the number of people suffering from associated non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, obesity and stroke, and cancer , attributed to physical inactivity. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay One of the most common diseases plaguing our world right now is heart disease. The main cause of coronary heart disease (also known as coronary heart disease) occurs when a gradual buildup of fatty deposits, called "plaque" or "atheroma", narrows the coronary arteries. Coronary arteries are the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart. This is where atherosclerosis arises as it refers to this buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances within and on the walls of the artery, thus restricting blood flow. The plaque can burst, causing a blood clot. Although atherosclerosis is primarily considered a heart problem, it can damage the body's arteries everywhere. Since this is a worldwide and widespread phenomenon, extensive research is constantly being conducted to identify some of the aspects that help in the development of atherosclerosis. in order to deepen our knowledge on what precautionary measures to take to avoid it and also on how to combat patients with pre-existing atherosclerosis. To do this we must examine this disease in every factor that contributes to its development and try to analyze and evaluate how each of them contributes to the worsening of this disease. This way we can make our approach in fighting the disease more specific to the different contributing factors. As research on atherosclerosis, its contributing factors and underlying causes is constantly being conducted, studies report that one of the factors contributing to the development and progression of atherosclerosis is the role of oxidized LDL or lipoproteins​​ low density which is a molecule composed of lipids (fats) and proteins. The reason why lipoproteins appear to contribute to the development and progression of atherosclerosis is because they are the transport system for lipids (fats) in the blood. Furthermore, reinforcing this notion is the fact that low-density lipoproteins are also the transport system for cholesterol taken up by the liver into blood tissue. LDL is often called “bad” cholesterol because a high level of LDL leads to a buildup of cholesterol in the arteries. Studies have identified that oxidized low-density lipoproteins can act as a harmful type of cholesterol. Oxidized low-density lipoproteins in the body can be produced when normal LDL cholesterol is damaged by chemical interactions with free radicals. Free radicals are oxygen-containing molecules with an odd number of electrons making them very susceptible to reacting with other molecules. The combination of certain inflammatory responses and these free radicals can cause the arteries to stiffen, which means atherosclerosis. Research is constantly being conducted on the role of oxidized low-density lipoproteins on atherosclerosis and thus we can gain great insight into how the entire procedure occurs. . Oxidized LDL moves rapidly into the arterial walls and thethey fill with cholesterol which subsequently converts into plaques thus blocking the arteries. To understand how oxidized LDL can be attributed as one of the major factors of atherosclerosis, we need to take a look at how exactly it is conducted. Studies have focused on this aspect and have discovered that the modification of LDL is carried out at the level of endothelial cells therefore the transformation involving an oxidation process seems to be internalized and slowly accumulated avidly by macrophages, leading to the formation of foam cells, and even if It is important to say that these cells could also be produced by macrophages that internalize native LDL from medium through micropinocytosis, or even by the accumulation of aggregated LDL or LDL immune complexes. Furthermore, it would appear that studies have reported that oxidized LDL possesses a wide variety of biological properties considered to promote atherosclerosis. One of them is the fact that oxidized LDL promotes the development of collagen by smooth muscle cells, thus leading to the coating of the atherosclerotic plaque in the fibrous cap and expansion of the lesion scale. Having said this, it is important to note that oxidized LDL could also have an impact in promoting thinning of the fibrous cap and therefore apoptosis of smooth muscle cells. In doing so, these facts favor the appearance of vulnerable plaques more susceptible to atherosclerosis. Furthermore, apoptosis of vascular cells is favored by the cytotoxicity of oxidized LDL towards vascular cells with consequent release of lipids and lysosomal enzymes into the subendothelial space, thus accelerating the development of atherosclerotic plaque. Furthermore, it would appear that oxidized LDL is essential for the production of macrophages and at the same time prevents their regression from the arterial wall, thus making oxidized LDL fundamental for the activation and development of monocytes and macrophages within the arterial wall . Finally, another study reported that it appears that oxidized LDL may have a fundamental role in vasoconstriction by inhibiting nitric oxide and increasing endothelin production. It would appear, through conducting several types of research on this topic, that antioxidants have been identified as having an integral role in preventing LDL oxidation. It would appear that by doing so, antioxidants appear to hinder the progress and development of atherosclerosis. One study reported that antioxidants tend to decrease the formation of atherosclerotic lesions and even decrease the oxidation of LDL. Antioxidants reduce oxidative stress which is the result of the imbalance between the heavy accumulation of reactive oxygen species and limited antioxidant defenses. Two of the key regulators of vascular health are the endothelium and nitric oxide. To examine the effects of antioxidants in this regard, we need to examine where antioxidants are sourced from on a daily basis. Antioxidants are found both within our diet and in the form of supplements and individual ones can have different effects. It would appear that a high intake of vitamin E appears to reduce the frequency of clinical events and mortality when it comes to heart disease. While probucol, which is an antioxidant supplement although questionable, has shown positive results when it comes to atherosclerosis as it would appear that some studies have claimed that it can inhibit blockage of the arteries and also, although not as well supported by research, it can reverse the effect of hardening of the arteries. It would appear that there is a heated debate regarding the effect of carotenoids on atherosclerosis with one study. 1987;84(9):2995–2998.