INTRODUCTION
Coronary artery disease is caused by the additive and interactive effects of inherited and environmental factors. Substantial evidence shows that reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a vital role in the aetiopathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Our study has been designed to evaluate the oxidative stress due to ROS and assess the antioxidant protection against ROS, in addition to the major risk factors, like lipid profiles, habit of smoking and conditions such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension, in myocardial infarction (MI) patients.

METHODS
World Health Organisation criteria were followed in the selection of the subjects. 150 patients with MI were included in the study along with equal number of age- and gender-matched controls. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitrite/nitrate levels were measured as markers of oxidative stress of free radical induced injury, and total antioxidant status was determined to assess the antioxidant protection against ROS, along with the lipid profiles.

RESULTS
The levels of total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, MDA and nitrite/nitrate were found to be significantly high, while high density lipoprotein cholesterol and total antioxidant capacity were significantly low in MI patients compared to controls.

CONCLUSION
Our study revealed the importance of determining the total antioxidant status in MI, in addition to the markers of oxidative stress and lipid profiles to enable the formulation of specific antioxidant therapies for an early intervention and better management of the disease. The study also suggests initiating lifestyle modifications as a preventive measure to reduce the burden of the disease.