Restoring Glycocalyx Thickness in Older Adults to Improve Vascular Function (RESTORE)

February 26, 2024 updated by: Gary L. Pierce, PhD, University of Iowa
The glycocalyx serves as the interface between flowing blood and endothelial cells, the single cell layer that lines blood vessels, and is crucial for normal blood vessel function. Specifically, the glycocalyx protects endothelial cells from oxidative stress and inflammation and enables blood vessel dilation, which is largely dependent on the bioavailability of the vasodilatory molecule nitric oxide. Importantly, glycocalyx thickness decreases with age and is predictive of major adverse cardiovascular events in older adults free of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, interventions aimed at restoring glycocalyx thickness in older adults are desperately needed. Endocalyx Pro is a commercially available glycocalyx precursor supplement, manufactured by Microvascular Health Solutions, designed to 1) repair a damaged glycocalyx, 2) protect against damage to the glycocalyx, and 3) synthesize new glycocalyx components, and has been used to increase glycocalyx thickness in humans. However, no study has tested if glycocalyx thickness restores glycocalyx thickness in older adults and improves blood vessel function. Thus, the purpose of this investigation is to determine if 12-weeks of Endocalyx Pro supplementation alters glycocalyx thickness and blood vessel function in older adults. The investigators will use a camera placed under the tongue to determine glycocalyx thickness. The investigators will measure blood vessel function by measuring brachial artery dilation with ultrasound and arterial stiffness using pressure probes placed on the carotid and femoral artery.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
24

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Iowa
      • Iowa City, Iowa, United States, 52242
        • University of Iowa

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 60-85 years
  • Able to undergo cardiovascular testing procedures including fasting overnight and holding selected morning medication doses.
  • Ability to understand and willingness to sign a written informed consent document.
  • Ability to lie comfortably for up to 90 minutes
  • Women only: Post-menopausal

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Current or history of CVD disease (heart attack, stroke, heart failure, cardiomyopathy or peripheral artery disease, heart angioplasty/stent or bypass surgery, valve replacement, carotid endarterectomy, heart transplant.
  • Medical history of stroke or other neurological disorder or systemic illness that could potentially affect cognition or brain function (outside of a diagnosis of MCI, Alzheimer's Disease) or could affect their safety or comfort while undergoing the imaging or cardiovascular studies.
  • Subjects with evidence of cardiovascular disease at baseline or during the exercise test (evidence of myocardial infarction, abnormal cardiac arrhythmia, myocardial ischemia, conduction delays, >1mm ST segment depression or elevation; >3 beat ventricular tachycardia; atrial fibrillation) will be excluded from the study.
  • Wilson's disease, hemochromatosis
  • Individuals taking clonidine or other short-acting beta blocker
  • Resting blood pressure > 149 mmHg systolic and/or 99mmHg diastolic
  • BMI > 40 kg/m2
  • Medical history of chronic major psychiatric or current diagnosis of major psychiatric disease (other than dementia).
  • Unable to provide informed consent due to cognitive impairment
  • Current clinically abnormal thyroid function not adequately regulated by thyroid hormone supplementation or medication.
  • Allergic to olives, artichokes, grapes or melons
  • Current tobacco user or history of tobacco use within the past 3 months (cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, hookah, electronic cigarettes) or living with someone who smokes/has smoked in the past 3 months.
  • Current diagnosis of diabetes (Type I or insulin dependent Type II)
  • Current diagnosis of COPD, cystic fibrosis, emphysema, chronic bronchitis
  • History of renal failure, dialysis or kidney transplant
  • Current diagnosis or history of liver disease or HIV/AIDS, or cancer requiring chemotherapy or radiation.
  • Current diagnosis or history of rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Wegener's granuomatosis
  • Vulnerable populations (prisoners, etc) will not be eligible.
  • Unwillingness to wash out from a vitamin or dietary supplement regime prior to enrollment and maintain throughout the duration of the study.
  • Inability to comply with experimental instructions.
  • Uncontrolled intercurrent illness that would limit compliance with study requirements per investigator.
  • Inability to fast or hold morning medications doses until after testing is complete.
  • Hormone replacement use within the past 6 months
  • Currently enrolled in another study using an study medication, supplement, device or intervention.
  • Initiation of a new prescription medication or change in dose/frequency in the past three months. Individuals will be become eligible after the medication/dose/frequency has been stable for 3 months.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Endocalyx Pro
Subjects will receive 6 capsules per day (3,712mg) of Endocalyx Pro (Microvascular Health Solutions, US Patent Number: 9943572), a commercially available supplement that includes a proprietary blend of glycocalyx precursors and antioxidants
Dietary supplement: Endocalyx Pro (Microvascular Health Solutions, US Patent Number: 9943572)
Subjects will receive Endocalyx Pro (Microvascular Health Solutions, US Patent Number: 9943572) (3,712mg) or placebo for 12 weeks.
Placebo Comparator: Placebo
Subjects will ingest placebo pills
Dietary supplement: Endocalyx Pro (Microvascular Health Solutions, US Patent Number: 9943572)
Subjects will receive Endocalyx Pro (Microvascular Health Solutions, US Patent Number: 9943572) (3,712mg) or placebo for 12 weeks.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD)
Time Frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
Conduit artery vascular endothelial function
Baseline and 12 weeks
Perfused boundary region (PBR)
Time Frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
Microvascular endothelial glycocalyx thickness
Baseline and 12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Iowa

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Gary Pierce, PhD, University of Iowa

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 10, 2022

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 31, 2023

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
January 31, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
October 1, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 1, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
October 6, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
February 28, 2024

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 26, 2024

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
February 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 202204445

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual deidentified data will be shared with other researchers upon reasonable request.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings