NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In findings that may help explain why heart disease is more common in men than women, a team of Japanese researchers reports that males are more susceptible to oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress is involved in atherogenesis, the fatty build-up on arterial linings that increases heart attack and stroke risk, and may also play a role in cancer and a number of other chronic disorders. It is caused by free radicals, byproducts of the body's normal processes that can damage tissue.

"I think our findings shed light on a mechanism for the differences in the propensity of men and women to develop atherosclerosis and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases," Dr. Hiroyuki Tsutsui of Kyushu University, one of the study's authors, told Reuters Health.

He explained that free radicals can cause inflammation and damage the inner lining of the arteries, two hallmarks of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis occurs when plaque accumulates inside arteries, inhibits the flow of blood and raises the risk of heart disease.

To examine whether men are more prone to such damage, Tsutsui and colleagues measured blood levels of compounds that indicate that free radical damage has occurred in 52 men and 51 women aged 20 to 39. All were healthy, did not smoke and were not taking medication or vitamin pills at the time of the study.

Blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels were similar between the sexes but levels of compounds signaling oxidative stress were higher in men than in women, according to the report in the March issue of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology: Journal of the American Heart Association.

However, taking supplements of vitamins C and E for 4 weeks reduced levels of these compounds in men but not in women, possibly because the effects of antioxidants can be greater in people with more oxidative stress, Tsutsui suggested in an interview.

The results "may contribute to a better understanding of the role of an individual's sex in the (development) of atherosclerosis," the researchers conclude.

A combination of vitamin E and vitamin C may help to lower the risk of heart disease in men with high levels of free radical damage, but more research is needed to confirm this finding, Tsutsui noted.

SOURCE: Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology 2002;22:438-

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