MitoQ and Exercise Effects on Vascular Health (NCT05686967)
🩺 Plain-English Summary (8th-Grade Level)
An impairment in vascular function can lead to the development of age-associated cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death in postmenopausal women. Regular aerobic exercise (AE) benefits vascular function in older men by reducing oxidative stress, however, similar AE training improvements are diminished or absent in postmenopausal women. not using estrogen-based hormone therapy. Vascular function and oxidative stress are improved with AE training in postmenopausal women treated with E2, suggesting an essential role of E2 in vascular adaptations to AE in women. Clinical use of E2 is contraindicated for this purpose, thus establishing alternative pharmacological approaches that could be administered as a substitute for E2 to improve AE signaling for vascular benefits and reducing CVD risk in E2-deficient postmenopausal women is biomedically important. The mitochondrial-targeted antioxidant MitoQ may be an alternative to E2 for restoring AE benefits in E2-deficient postmenopausal women given its recently established effectiveness for reducing oxidative stress and improving vascular function in that population. Accordingly, the overall aim of this application is to assess the efficacy of a 12-week randomized controlled trial of moderate intensity AE training combined with oral MitoQ (20 mg/d) compared to AE+oral placebo (PL) or No AE+MitoQ on vascular vasodilatory function (brachial artery flow-mediated dilation; FMD) in healthy E2-deficient postmenopausal women. Insight into the causes for the improvement related to molecules (e.g., nitric oxide) that promote vasodilation, mitochondrial function, oxidative stress, and the influence of "circulating factors" will also be obtained. We hypothesize that AE+MitoQ will improve both FMD \> AE+PL and \> No AE+MitoQ, and that No AE+MitoQ will improve FMD \> AE+PL. The greater improvements in endothelial function with AE+MitoQ vs. both AE+PL and No AE+MitoQ, and with No AE+MitoQ vs. AE+PL will be mediated by greater improvements in nitric oxide production, mitochondrial function, and mitochondrial and oxidative stress linked, at least in part, to changes in "circulating factors". The expected results from this study will establish the efficacy of MitoQ for restoring AE-vascular signaling in E2-deficient postmenopausal women and will provide the foundation for development of evidence-based guidelines for sex-specific AE programs for improving vascular health and preventing CVD in postmenopausal women.
Who can join: To join this study, participants generally need to meet the listed inclusion criteria (9 items) and avoid the listed exclusions (8 items).
Location: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center, Clinical Translational Research Center and Exercise Research Laboratory — Aurora, Colorado
📋 "Do I Qualify?" — 1-Minute Self Screener
Instant ChecklistCheck every box below. If you can check all of them, you may meet the study's basic screening requirements (final eligibility is confirmed by the site team).
Usually NOT eligible if any of the following apply:
- Exclusion Criteria:
- Volunteers will be excluded from the study if they have contraindications to MitoQ or AE.
- acute liver disease, history of venous thromboembolic events, preexisting or active cardiac, renal or hepatic disease, history of stomach ulcer or bleeding or epilepsy or other seizure disorder;
- diabetes, active infection, disease that affects the nervous system,
- an abnormal resting ECG, angina and/or ECG evidence of acute myocardial ischemia during the exercise test (development of ST-segment depression of more than 0.3 mV that is either horizontal, down-sloping, or slowly upsloping -less than 1 mvolt/sec and lasts more than 0.08 sec; ST elevation; chest pain or discomfort), bundle branch blocks, A-V block greater than first degree, arrhythmias;
- chronic infections;
- thyroid dysfunction, defined as an ultrasensitive TSH \<0.5 or \>5.0 mU/L; volunteers with abnormal TSH values will be re-considered for participation in the study after follow-up evaluation by the PCP with initiation or adjustment of thyroid hormone replacement;
- orthopedic or other problems that would interfere with participation in the exercise program The volunteers who choose to participate will do so with the understanding that they will be randomly assigned to study groups that involve either AE+PL (33% chance), No AE+MitoQ (33% chance) or AE+MitoQ (33% chance).
🔍 Extracted verbatim from the official NIH eligibility criteria. Always confirm with the study coordinator.
📍 All Participating Trial Locations (1 Sites)
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center, Clinical Translational Research Center and Exercise Research Laboratory — Aurora, Colorado
💰 Cost, Insurance & Patient Rights
- 100% Free Items: The investigational treatment and protocol-required procedures are supplied at zero cost by the sponsor.
- Routine Patient Care: Under federal law (ACA § 2709) and many state statutes, routine care costs are covered during participation.
- Voluntary Participation: You may withdraw at any time without affecting your standard medical care.