The cheap 90p supplement that could slash risk of deadly heart failure by ‘reversing' damage from silent killer
A CHEAP supplement could help prevent deadly heart failure by 'reversing' damage caused by silent killer diabetes.
People with type 2 diabetes who took the widely available pill daily on top of their standard treatment were able to reverse early signs of diabetes-related heart failure in a matter of months, a new study showed.
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The number Brits with diabetes has reached an all-time high - it's estimated that 5.8 million people have the condition, 90 per cent of whom have type 2 diabetes.
This number is predicted to continue surging.
Type 2 diabetes patients are up to five times more likely to develop heart failure than the rest of the population, according to the British Heart Foundation (BHF).
Once someone with diabetes is diagnosed with heart failure, they are three times more likely to die over the next five years.
But a study conducted by the University of Leeds found that diabetics who took mitoquinone - sold as a health supplement for about 90p per tablet - had healthier hearts after four months compared to those not given the supplement.
Lead author Dr Henry Procter, a clinical research fellow at the University of Leeds, 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.'
Diabetes causes problems with how the body - including the heart - processes and uses energy, which can cause stress and damage to the cells of the heart muscle.
Over time, it can lead to the heart stiffening and being unable to pump blood well, eventually to the point of heart failure.
Mitoquinone is an artificial antioxidant that is thought to guard cells against this metabolic stress and damage.
It's sold online as a supplement for about £50 for a jar of 60 pills, which works out at about 86p per tablet.
However, these are at doses far lower than those used in the study.
The research, whose results were presented at the British Cardiovascular Society conference in Manchester, involved 70 patients with type 2 diabetes who didn't have heart failure.
Half were given 40mg of mitoquinone per day on top of their regular diabetes treatment, while the other half received their usual medication.
Both groups had their heart health assessed at the start of the study and again four months later.
After four months of mitoquinone, diabetic patients' hearts were able to process and use energy 15 per cent more efficiently.
Their heart muscles were also able to relax more quickly, which showed that early indicators of stress and stiffness in their hearts had been reversed, according to researchers.
Patients experienced no side effects from taking the supplement.
What is heart failure and tips to prevent it
Heart failure is a condition where your heart can't pump blood around your body as well as it should.
It doesn't mean your heart has stopped working but you may need support to help it work better.
When your heart isn't pumping blood as well as it should, it means you're not getting enough oxygen.
This affects how your body works, including your breathing and muscles. This causes some of the main symptoms of heart failure, like:
Fainting or feeling lightheaded
Feeling increasingly tired or weak at rest which gets worse with movement
New persistent cough
Shortness of breath when you're active or resting
Swelling in your feet and ankles which can spread to your lower body
You should see your GP as soon as you can if you experience any of these symptoms.
To manage heart failure, here are some things you could try:
Keeping active – which has been proven to boost energy and improve sleep and quality of life.
Keeping to a healthy weight and diet – this will help your overall health and prevent extra strain on your heart.
Limiting how much alcohol you drink (less than the recommended 14 units per week) - lowering your chance of getting abnormal heart rhythms, high blood pressure and diseases such as stroke, liver problems and some cancers.
Stopping smoking and using other tobacco products - reducing your risk of developing heart and circulatory diseases.
Watching the amount of fluid you have each day if advised by your medical team.
Weighing yourself regularly – sudden weight gain may mean too much fluid is building up in your body and will need treated.
Source: BHF
Those who didn't take the daily pill didn't see the same improvements to their heart health.
Experts said that while their findings are promising they now need to be backed up by larger trials.
The research team is now looking into running a larger study of mitoquinone in diabetes patients, to gather more evidence that the supplement could protect their hearts and prevent heart failure over time.
They hope to show that diabetes patients could one day be prescribed mitoquinone to keep their hearts healthier for longer.
'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," Dr Procter said.
Professor Bryan Willians, the BHF's chief scientific and medical officer, added: '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.'
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