LEIPZIG, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New human research using the mitochondria-targeted antioxidant “MitoQ” has shown as much as a 33% reduction in pain and significant improvement in memory among sufferers of fibromyalgia, a debilitating and painful condition with no known cause or cure affecting tens of millions worldwide.
The recently completed study, entitled “The influence of MitoQ on symptoms and cognition in fibromyalgia, myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue” examined the effects of 6 weeks of MitoQ on symptoms of fibromyalgia (FM) and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) such as pain, fatigue, sleep quality and depression as well as cognitive tests and measures of patient activity.
The study was initiated and conducted by Cort Johnson of Healthrising.org and neuroscientist Joshua Grant of Mendus.org, an innovative, free online platform where individuals with health conditions can share questions and experiences and help create their own research studies. The study was conducted entirely online at Mendus.org, where patients tested and reported all of their symptoms and individually managed their medication regimens.
In the group of patients with FM, significant decreases in pain scores of 33% and 24% were observed in the parallel and crossover analyses respectively. Increases in working memory capacity of 13% and 10% respectively were also recorded. The crossover analysis showed that neither effect was observed when the same individuals were taking placebo. In the ME/CFS group, no significant improvements in symptoms were noted when compared to placebo. However, the third open-label group of ME/CFS patients noted large improvements in energy, sleep quality, mental clarity and verbal reasoning, as well as a reduction in pain.
“There were both encouraging and disappointing results. MitoQ seems to work quite well for fibromyalgia, lowering pain and improving memory. For ME/CFS the higher dosage showed no effects that could not be explained by placebo. However, our open label cohort (Group 3) showed huge effects with the lower dose. Interestingly, those effects did not match the placebo effects suggesting there is more to the story,” said Grant.
“These favorable results warrant larger, more controlled, trials of MitoQ in these debilitating conditions. With its excellent safety profile and availability without prescription, MitoQ may have the potential to help millions of similar patients look forward to a less painful tomorrow.”