martens is currently leading a 12-week study to examine the relationship between nr and cognitive impairment in older adults. he hopes to determine if the supplement is more effective in people who are already suffering from impairment.
“they’re coming in with cognitive deficits and as a result are more likely to have an accumulation of some of these biomarkers in their brain, so there’s a chance we’ll see bigger reductions in these biomarkers because they have more of them in their cells,” martens said.
“we’re measuring markers of cognitive function and other things related to functional independence and quality of life but we’re also hoping to gain some insight on the underlying disease process,” martens said. “we’re hoping that the people who take the nr might have preserved function.”
if they are able to prove the efficacy of nr, the team plans to test whether increased use of the supplement can improve cognition and even slow the progression of neurodegenerative diseases.
“we were among the first to do a chronic dosing study in humans, and as a result, we’ve been at the forefront of this field for a few years,” martens said. “now, we’re at a turning point, where we can start to determine whether nad+ increases in other tissues as well and that’s likely where the more important signal will be in terms of resolving disease.”