Many life extension physicians and enthusiasts first learned of the concept
of “smart drugs” from reading the blockbuster best-seller, Life Extension, A
Practical Scientific Approach, by Durk Pearson and Sandy Shaw. Pearson and Shaw
extolled the virtues of a drug called Hydergine- a Novartis trademark (ergoloid
mesylates), a combination of three ergot alkaloids.
They reported that Novartis Pharmaceuticals claimed Hydergine was the “most
intensively studies drug in the world” and at the time they wrote their book it
was “the fifth best selling drug in the world.”
Hydergine was originally developed as an anti-hypertensive medication, but it
was soon found that it really wasn’t very effective in reducing elevated blood
pressure. However, a number of people who used it did report improvements in
memory, mood and overall sense of well being. At first, it was believed that
these effects were due to increased cerebral blood flow. Later, however, it was
determined that Hydergine actually acted to improve brain cell metabolism in a
number of ways.
Hydergine increases stores of the universal energy molecule, adenosine
triphosphate (ATP), stabilises the intracellular messenger molecule cyclic
adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) content of nerve cells, improves utilization of
glucose in the brain, and enhances cerebral microcirculation.
The FDA approves Hydergine for persons “over sixty who manifest signs and
symptoms of an idiopathic decline in mental capacity,” (i.e. cognitive and
interpersonal skills, mood, self-care, apparent motivation-Physician’s Desk
Reference 1995).
The PDR description went on to report that “the efficacy of Hydergine was
evaluated using a special rating scale… on which modest but statistically
significant changes were observed at the end of twelve weeks include; mental
alertness, confusion, recent emory, orientation, emotional lability, appetite,
dizziness, fatigue, bothersome (ness) and an overall impression of clinical
status.”
It should be noted that the modest but significant changes referred to above
were all in the positive direction. It should also be noted that these
improvements all took place using the measly 3mg dose that is approved and most
commonly used in the USA.
Despite the vast amount of research that has been conducted with Hydergine,
and its enviable record of near-absolute safety, little research has been
conducted with this substance in recent years. In fact, one of the most recent
studies with Hydergine was published seven years ago in the New England Journal
of Medicine, in which the authors arrived at the conclusion that it “was
ineffective as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.”
Their assessment was based on their findings that three-mg/ day of Hydergine
for six months was ineffective in improving symptoms of eighty patients with
Alzheimer’s disease. What I think the authors really proved, however, was that
three-mg per day is an inadequate dose for Alzheimer’s disease (surprise,
surprise!).
Previous studies indicated that higher doses were usually required to benefit
patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
For example, a team of physicians at
Stanford University (Yesavage, et al., 1979) administered 6mg of Hydergine each
day to 14 hospitalised patients, (aged 62-84) with senile deterioration. All of
these patients had been treated for at least 4 months with 3mg Hydergine per
day, without noticeable improvement. However, after 12 weeks of treatment at the
higher dose, seven of eleven surviving patients, (three of the patients died due
to unrelated causes) had shown improvement. One patient, who had been
hospitalised for two years, improved so dramatically he was discharged from
hospital!
In another study in Japan, Yoshikawa and colleagues (1983) conducted a large
double blind study of Hydergine in 550 patients. They found that almost half of
the patients in the 6mg group- 48.9%, showed a moderate to marked improvement,
compared with only 17.9% in the 3mg group.
Furthermore, they noted that “the
superiority of a higher Hydergine dose was particularly pronounced in patients
with heavy-headedness, sleep disturbances of various kinds, problems of
concentration, loss of vigor, memory disturbances and giddiness.”
They concluded that; “the favourable effects of Hydergine on psychiatric,
subjective and neurologic symptoms in patients with cerebrovascular disease are
considerably increased when a higher dose is used,” that “a daily dose of 3mg
may therefore be insufficient,” and that “clinically relevant improvement may be
obtained in more cases if the dose is increased to 6mg per day.”
No adverse effects of the 6mg dose were reported in either study. It is
possible that even higher doses may be required for those who are severely
demented.
HYDERGINE &endash; LONG TERM HIGH DOSE ITALIAN STUDIES
A long term, multi-center randomized placebo-controlled double blind study
was carried out in Italy, (Cucinotta, et al, 1996). The study initially involved
215 patients from 14 geriatric and neurologic centers, and included a 1-month
pre-treatment phase with placebo, followed by 1 year of double blind
treatment.
The dosage was 5mg twice a day for the first 2 weeks, 10mg twice a day for
the next 2 weeks and then 20mg twice a day for the following 11 months. That’s a
whopping dose of 40mg per day!
Results from the first year of this study indicated that the patients on
Hydergine either improved or at least deteriorated at a slower rate than before,
while those on placebo continued to deteriorate an additional 8% over
baseline.
Although the Hydergine group showed overall benefit in nearly every parameter
tested, one test in particular that evaluated quality of life showed highly
significant improvement in the Hydergine treated group.
The massive doses used also confirm the safety and tolerance of Hydergine, as
there was no difference in the dropout rate between the two groups.
Frankly, I’m surprised at the lack of side effects- I would have expected to
see a great deal of agitation and hyperexcitability in the high dose Hydergine
group. However, perhaps it confirms, as the studies cited above imply, that the
more demented one is, the more Hydergine is required to effect a positive
change.
Furthermore, there was no change in blood pressure, heart rate, or other
routine laboratory tests in the Hydergine group. This is in stark contrast to
the common occurrence of liver toxicity with tacrine (Cognex), a drug commonly
used for Alzheimer’s disease in the US.
The study is now well into its second year, and is now an open phase study,
(physicians and patients are aware of who is taking the active drug). We look
forward to further results from this study.
RESTORING FUNCTIONALITY & ENERGY PRODUCTION IN OLD
MITOCHONDRIA
One of the heretofore believed-to-be-inevitable consequences of aging, is a
decrease in the number of synapses- i.e., connections between brain cells. This
decrease of brain cell to brain cell connection has been hypothesised to be due
to impairment in the energy supply at synaptic regions.
Because of Hydergine’s known ability to improve nerve cell metabolism, a
group of Italian scientists studied the ultrastructural features of synaptic
mitochondria of the brain cells of rats of different ages, to determine if
long-term Hydergine treatment could prevent or delay the loss of synaptic
connections (Bertoni-Freddari, et al, 1994).
The mitochondria, remember, are the “intracellular powerhouses” where the
universal energy molecule- adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is produced. Using a
computer assisted image analyzer, the researchers measured three mitochondrial
parameters, (1) volume density, Vv, the fraction of the cell volume occupied by
the mitochondria, (2) numerical density, Nv, the number of mitochondria per
cubic micrometer and (3) average size, Sk, mitochondrial skeletal length.
They found that the number of mitochondria is greatest at about 12 months of
age in rats, (the equivalent of a human 25-year-old), and then progressively
decreases.
The size of the mitochondria, however, increased progressively after 12
months, in an apparent effort to compensate for the reduction in the number and
efficiency of energy producing mitochondria. Because of this reciprocal
relationship between mitochondrial size and number, there was little change in
the overall total volume of mitochondria per cell.
Thus in young adult animals, the energy required at synaptic regions is
provided by a large number of small, highly efficient mitochondria, whereas in
old animals, energy is produced by a smaller number of larger, less efficient
mitochondria.
Unfortunately, despite their larger size, because of decreased functionality
of a number of mitochondrial enzymes, the few enlarged mitochondria tend to be
less able to accomplish their tasks, especially when there is a high demand for
energy.
After treatment with Hydergine, it can be seen that the total mitochondrial
volume of old rats was nearly the same as the young adults, and the number and
mitochondrial size was altered in a more youthful direction
HYDERGINE CONCLUSIONS
The above combined clinical and laboratory data support the recommendation of
many anti-aging physicians that Hydergine should continue to be incorporated in
an anti-aging/ smart drug regimen.
Although the FDA approved recommended dosage in the US remains 3mg per day-
and many people do well on 2-3mg per day, I believe that most life extensionists
would benefit by somewhat higher doses, (I personally take 5mg per day).
Copyright 2003. This article may not be reproduced for public
broadcast in any form, without the written permission of: International Antiaging Systems
REFERENCES
1) Bertoni-Freddari, C., Fattoretti, P., Casoli, T., Spagna, C., and
Meier-Ruge, W. Morphological alterations of synaptic mitochondria during aging-
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Assessment and Potential Interventions, Annals of the New York Academy of
Sciences, Volume 717, by Imre Zs.- Nagy and Kenichi Kitani, eds.), NYAS, New
York 1994.
2) Cucinotta, D., De Leo, D., Frattola, L., Trabucchi, M.,and
Parnetti, L., Dihydroergokryptine vs. placebo in dementia of Alzheimer type;
Interim results of a randomized multicentre study after a 1 year follow up.
Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 22; 169-180
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3) Physician’s desk reference, Medical Economics, Chicago,
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Raven Press, New York 1975.
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6) Yesavage JA, Hollister LE and Burian E. Dihydrorgotoxine
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