Oxidative stress was first proposed by German scientist Sies in 1985 and its research has been continued for more than 30 years. A large number of studies across the world have confirmed that oxidative stress is involved in the occurrence and development of heart failure. Anti-oxidative stress treatment in preclinical settings has also been extensively investigated with promising results. However, most of the anti-oxidation strategies currently used in clinical practice have failed to improve the prognosis of patients with heart failure. This article summarizes the changes in oxidative stress/reduction stress in heart failure and provides new insights into the future orientations in antioxidant/reduction stress.