A multi-component nutritional supplement has been found to improve markers of vascular health, in a randomised controlled trial led by the University of Surrey. The formulation combined ingredients (vitamins/minerals, amino acids and plant-derived bio actives) selected for their relevance to several biological processes associated with ageing.
After six months, participants receiving the supplement, known as NOVOS Core, showed improvements in endothelial function, arterial stiffness and systolic blood pressure compared to those who did not receive the supplement. Blood vessel function improved within one hour of the first dose.
During the study, Surrey scientists explored whether targeting multiple ageing-related processes simultaneously with a nutritional supplement could influence cardiovascular health biomarkers. These measures capture complementary aspects of vascular health and are associated with cardiovascular risk, although they are not clinical outcomes.
Professor Christian Heiss, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Surrey, said:
“Biological ageing is not driven by one pathway, but by a number of interacting molecular and cellular processes. The idea behind this study was to ask whether addressing several of these processes at the same time via a nutritional supplement could produce measurable effects on cardiovascular health biomarkers.
“As a first step, we looked at established biomarkers of vascular health , such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels, rather than clinical outcomes. We found favourable changes in endothelial function, arterial stiffness and systolic blood pressure after six months. These findings are encouraging. We now need larger studies to understand the mechanisms involved and, importantly, whether these changes translate into longer-term health benefits.”
Diogo Barardo, PhD, Director of R&D at NOVOS and a geroscientist, a scientist specialized in the biology of aging, said:
“When we began developing NOVOS Core in 2019, our hypothesis was that simultaneously targeting all the hallmarks of aging, the fundamental biological processes underlying aging and age-related diseases, could produce measurable improvements in the organs and systems affected by aging.
"The STAMINA results provide encouraging clinical evidence consistent with that hypothesis, demonstrating improvements across three measures of cardiovascular function, particularly meaningful given that cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide.”
To learn more, 61 participants were recruited, 33 of whom received the supplement and 28 a placebo (control group). Participants were asked to consume the supplement or a placebo once daily for six months.
Researchers found that flow-mediated dilation, a measure of endothelial function (regulation of blood vessel tone and blood clotting), improved in participants receiving the supplement compared with the control group. An improvement was also observed one hour after the first dose, while values remained largely unchanged in the control group.
At six months, the adjusted between-group difference in systolic blood pressure was 6.1 mmHg, again favouring the supplement group. A difference was also observed one hour after the first dose. To put this effect size in context, previous large studies have found that a 5mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure is associated with an approximately 10 percent reduction in major cardiovascular events when sustained over time. The present study was not designed to assess clinical outcomes.
Pulse wave velocity, a measure of arterial stiffness, was also lower (indicating softer arteries), with an adjusted between-group difference of 1.18 m/s after six months. In addition, blood tests showed no significant changes in cholesterol or other blood lipids, suggesting that the observed changes in vascular markers were not explained by lipid lowering.
Scientists also found that the estimated 10-year cardiovascular risk decreased modestly, largely reflecting the difference in systolic blood pressure.
Professor Juliet Wright, Founding Dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Surrey, said:
“This study is a good example of how ideas emerging from the biology of ageing can be tested rigorously in people. The findings provide an interesting proof of concept, but the important next step is to understand the underlying biology and establish whether changes in cardiovascular biomarkers translate into meaningful longer-term health benefits.”
This study was published in the European Heart Journal Open (Link will go live when embargo lifts)
Notes to editors
The investigator-initiated study was supported by NOVOS Labs through provision of the study supplement known as NOVOS Core and matching control and an unrestricted contribution towards research costs. NOVOS Labs had no role in study design, collection or primary interpretation of the data, or the decision to publish. The University of Surrey researchers retained control of the study data.
More about the trial: https://novoslabs.com/study/
For more information and to bid for an interview with Professor Heiss please contact mediarelations@surrey.ac.uk
Paper title: 'Acute and 6-Month Vascular Effects of a Multi-Component Nutritional Supplement: Preliminary Findings from a Randomised Controlled Trial'
European Heart Journal Open
Acute and 6-Month Vascular Effects of a Multi-Component Nutritional Supplement: Preliminary Findings from a Randomised Controlled Trial
4-Nov-2026