Over-the-counter supplement could prevent heart disease in type 2 diabetes patients

A cheap over-the-counter supplement could hold the key to preventing heart failure in people with Type 2 diabetes, according to research presented Tuesday at the British Cardiovascular Society conference in Manchester.

The study found that diabetes patients who took daily mitoquinone, a widely available antioxidant, as well as their standard treatment had healthier hearts after four months than those not given the supplement. Mitoquinone was able to reverse the early signs of diabetes-related heart failure over the course of the study.

Dr. Henry Procter, clinical research fellow at the University of Leeds and lead author of the study, said, “These encouraging results are a sign that mitoquinone could keep hearts healthier for longer in people with diabetes. If the study had continued for longer, it is likely we would have started to see differences in more serious indicators of heart health between the group with mitoquinone and the group without.”

“We hope that a larger study will continue to demonstrate the benefits of this antioxidant, and that one day soon diabetic patients can be prescribed it to help prevent heart failure before it ever affects their lives.”

It’s estimated that more than 5.8 million people in the U.K. have diabetes, an all-time high, with around 90% having Type 2. This number is predicted to continue to rise, and Type 2 diabetes patients are up to five times more likely to develop heart failure than the rest of the population. Once a patient with diabetes is diagnosed with heart failure, they are three times more likely to die over the next five years.

Diabetes causes problems with how the body, including the heart, processes and uses energy—its metabolism. This can cause stress and damage to the cells of the heart muscle, which over time can lead to the heart stiffening and being unable to pump blood well, eventually to the point of heart failure.

Mitoquinone is an antioxidant supplement that is thought to guard cells against this metabolic stress and damage. It is often sold online to amateur athletes and others as manufacturers claim it can improve cellular energy levels and support healthy aging. However, until now there has been very little clinical data on its effectiveness at protecting diabetic patients’ hearts.

The researchers found that after four months of mitoquinone, diabetic patients’ hearts were able to process and use energy 15% more efficiently when at rest than they had been. Improvements were also seen during exercise. As well as this, the heart muscles of the mitoquinone group were able to relax more quickly. These were all signs that the early indicators of stress and stiffness in this group’s hearts had been reversed.

The team recruited 70 people with Type 2 diabetes from across Leeds. People who already had a heart condition were not included in the study. Tests and heart scans were done before and after a four-month period where half of the participants took daily 40 mg mitoquinone tablets as well as their normal diabetes treatments, and the other half just had their normal treatment.

The mitoquinone group saw a reversal in early signs of metabolic stress. The standard treatment group did not see the same changes. After the four months, none of the patients in the study had developed dangerous heart symptoms or seen changes in their diabetes control. There were no major side effects to taking mitoquinone.

The team are now looking into running a larger trial of mitoquinone in diabetes patients, to gather more evidence that the supplement could protect hearts and prevent heart failure over time. If the results of further studies are positive, they hope that diabetes patients could one day be prescribed mitoquinone to keep their hearts healthier for longer.

Professor Bryan Willians, chief scientific and medical officer at the British Heart Foundation, said, “This study presents some intriguing initial findings. It’s still early days for this research and the results will need to be confirmed in a larger scale trial. The study neatly demonstrates why it is so important to continue to support research and look for solutions in a wide variety of places, so that we can continue to offer hope to people living with, and at risk of, cardiovascular disease.”

Provided by
British Heart Foundation

A cheap over-the-counter supplement could hold the key to preventing heart failure in people with Type 2 diabetes, according to research presented Tuesday at the British Cardiovascular Society conference in Manchester.

The study found that diabetes patients who took daily mitoquinone, a widely available antioxidant, as well as their standard treatment had healthier hearts after four months than those not given the supplement. Mitoquinone was able to reverse the early signs of diabetes-related heart failure over the course of the study.

Dr. Henry Procter, clinical research fellow at the University of Leeds and lead author of the study, said, “These encouraging results are a sign that mitoquinone could keep hearts healthier for longer in people with diabetes. If the study had continued for longer, it is likely we would have started to see differences in more serious indicators of heart health between the group with mitoquinone and the group without.”

“We hope that a larger study will continue to demonstrate the benefits of this antioxidant, and that one day soon diabetic patients can be prescribed it to help prevent heart failure before it ever affects their lives.”

It’s estimated that more than 5.8 million people in the U.K. have diabetes, an all-time high, with around 90% having Type 2. This number is predicted to continue to rise, and Type 2 diabetes patients are up to five times more likely to develop heart failure than the rest of the population. Once a patient with diabetes is diagnosed with heart failure, they are three times more likely to die over the next five years.

Diabetes causes problems with how the body, including the heart, processes and uses energy—its metabolism. This can cause stress and damage to the cells of the heart muscle, which over time can lead to the heart stiffening and being unable to pump blood well, eventually to the point of heart failure.

Mitoquinone is an antioxidant supplement that is thought to guard cells against this metabolic stress and damage. It is often sold online to amateur athletes and others as manufacturers claim it can improve cellular energy levels and support healthy aging. However, until now there has been very little clinical data on its effectiveness at protecting diabetic patients’ hearts.

The researchers found that after four months of mitoquinone, diabetic patients’ hearts were able to process and use energy 15% more efficiently when at rest than they had been. Improvements were also seen during exercise. As well as this, the heart muscles of the mitoquinone group were able to relax more quickly. These were all signs that the early indicators of stress and stiffness in this group’s hearts had been reversed.

The team recruited 70 people with Type 2 diabetes from across Leeds. People who already had a heart condition were not included in the study. Tests and heart scans were done before and after a four-month period where half of the participants took daily 40 mg mitoquinone tablets as well as their normal diabetes treatments, and the other half just had their normal treatment.

The mitoquinone group saw a reversal in early signs of metabolic stress. The standard treatment group did not see the same changes. After the four months, none of the patients in the study had developed dangerous heart symptoms or seen changes in their diabetes control. There were no major side effects to taking mitoquinone.

The team are now looking into running a larger trial of mitoquinone in diabetes patients, to gather more evidence that the supplement could protect hearts and prevent heart failure over time. If the results of further studies are positive, they hope that diabetes patients could one day be prescribed mitoquinone to keep their hearts healthier for longer.

Professor Bryan Willians, chief scientific and medical officer at the British Heart Foundation, said, “This study presents some intriguing initial findings. It’s still early days for this research and the results will need to be confirmed in a larger scale trial. The study neatly demonstrates why it is so important to continue to support research and look for solutions in a wide variety of places, so that we can continue to offer hope to people living with, and at risk of, cardiovascular disease.”

Provided by
British Heart Foundation