Inflammation is a host defence activated by exogenous (eg pathogen-derived, pollutants) or
endogenous (eg reactive oxygen species—ROS) danger signals. Mostly, endogenous
molecules (or their derivatives) have well-defined intracellular function but become danger
signal when released or exposed following stress or injury. In this review, we discuss the
potential role of ROS in chronic evolution of inflammatory cardiovascular diseases, using our
experiences working on chagasic cardiomyopathy as a focus-point.