The relationship between ethanol consumption and cardiovas-cular system function is ambiguous. Some epidemiologic studieshave demonstrated that moderate amounts of ethanol may reducecardiovascular risk by reducing blood pressure and suppressingsmooth muscle cell proliferation. Despite these
benefi-cial effects, some studies have found that ethanol consumptionincreased the risk of hypertension and the risk of cardiovascu-lar disease with progression of atherosclerosis. It seemsthat the effects of ethanol on the cardiovascular system dependon various factors, including drinking patterns, dose, gender,and type of beverage. It is therefore evident that the effects ofethanol on the cardiovascular system are complex and identifica-tion of the underlying mechanisms that may explain paradoxicaleffects of ethanol is highly warranted. Recently, we provided evi-dence that ethanol consumption increases lipid peroxidation andprotein oxidation in the hippocampus and cerebellum of rats. A study conducted by Haorah et al. showed that ethanolmetabolism in the vascular system leads to oxidative stress and thegeneration of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In addition, ourstudies have shown that ethanol causes hyperhomocysteinemia,which in turn may lead to production of free radicals that inducecardiovascular disorders. The association between hyperhomo-cysteinemia as an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis hasbeen reported in several studies, but the mechanism bywhich hyperhomocysteinemia increases the risk for atherosclerosisis not fully understood and it may be caused by homocysteine-induced release of superoxide anions (O•−) and hydrogen peroxide(H2O2). In addition to hyperhomocysteinemia, hyperlipidemiais an important independent risk factor for the development ofatherosclerosis in the cardiovascular system. Hyperlipidemiaor hypercholesterolemia [more specifically, elevated low-densitylipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol] are accepted as important risk fac-tors for the development of atherosclerosis in humans.The oxidized form of LDL (Ox-LDL) is an important contribu-tor to the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis becauseof its cytotoxic and chemotactic properties. Excess LDLin the interstitium is taken up by monocyte macrophages andis then subjected to an oxidation process that leads to theformation of Ox-LDL. Ox-LDL has been shown to affectvascular smooth muscle cell growth by inducing proliferationor apoptosis. There is some experimental evidence for thepro-oxidant action of ethanol that has been attributed to LDL mod-ification by acetaldehyde, to an alcohol-induced