Multi-ingredient supplement improves vascular function in early trial
A six-month randomized controlled trial at the University of Surrey found that a nutritional supplement targeting multiple aging pathways improved endothelial function, reduced arterial stiffness, and lowered systolic blood pressure. Participants showed measurable improvements in vascular health markers within an hour of the first dose, suggesting rapid biological effects. The study, published in the European Heart Journal Open, calls for larger trials to confirm long-term benefits.
A six-month randomized controlled trial conducted at the University of Surrey tested a multi-ingredient supplement called NOVOS Core in 61 participants, with 33 receiving the supplement and 28 assigned to a placebo group. The study, published in the European Heart Journal Open in 2026, found measurable improvements in vascular health markers within just one hour of the first dose, including enhanced endothelial function, reduced arterial stiffness, and lower systolic blood pressure. After six months, the supplement group showed an adjusted between-group difference of 6.1 mmHg in systolic blood pressure—comparable to reductions linked with a 10% drop in cardiovascular events in prior large-scale studies—and a 1.18 m/s reduction in pulse wave velocity, indicating softer arteries. Flow-mediated dilation, a key indicator of endothelial function, improved significantly in the supplement group, with changes observed as early as one hour post-dose. Notably, no significant changes were seen in cholesterol or blood lipids, suggesting the benefits stemmed from mechanisms beyond lipid modulation.
The research was driven by the hypothesis that aging is not governed by a single pathway but by multiple interconnected biological processes—what scientists call the "hallmarks of aging." NOVOS Core, developed by geroscientist Diogo Barardo and his team at NOVOS starting in 2019, was designed to simultaneously target several of these processes using vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and plant
This study could influence public interest in preventive nutrition and the growing market for longevity-focused supplements, particularly among aging populations concerned about cardiovascular risk. While not claiming to prevent heart disease, the rapid and measurable effects on vascular biomarkers may encourage broader adoption of multi-ingredient formulations as part of proactive health regimens. The findings may also prompt regulatory bodies to reevaluate how such products are assessed—especially if future trials demonstrate sustained clinical benefits. A comparable precedent is the widespread uptake of statins after early trials showed lipid-lowering effects, which later translated into reduced cardiovascular mortality. However, unlike statins, NOVOS Core has not undergone long-term safety or efficacy testing in diverse populations. What remains uncertain is whether these short-term improvements will persist and whether they lead to meaningful reductions in real-world health outcom