The very extensive research into atherogenesis carried out in recent years has yielded new knowledge of the importance of oxidation by free radicals of low-density lipoproteins and lipids, for instance in endothelial cell membrane. This has provided greater insight into the potential benefit of preventive measures using anti-oxidants to inhibit atherogenesis, and the results of clinical trials carried out so far would seem to confirm this. Prospective, controlled epidemiological trials are still lacking, but this will probably be remedied within the next 2-3 decades. The most clinically interesting antioxidants are vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, the ubiquinones, and the trace element selenium, substances that are naturally integrated components of the complex biochemistry of the human organism. The review is intended to clarify the scientific rationale for an increased intake of such anti-oxidants with a view to reducing the incidence of ischaemic vascular disorders.