Another Major Supplement, Creatine, Proven Ineffective Inward The Struggle Against Huntington’S Disease

For the minute fourth dimension inward less than iii months, a widely taken too long-studied dietary supplement envisioned equally a potential handling for Huntington’s affliction has been proven ineffective, bringing a halt to a clinical trial.

Creatine, a supplement pop alongside trunk builders too readily available inward wellness nutrient stores, was studied inward a clinical case called CREST-E (Creatine Safety, Tolerability, too Efficacy inward Huntington’s Disease), which began inward 2009 and was to live completed inward 2016.

On Oct 29, the National Center for Complementary too Alternative Medicine, constituent of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announced that it was discontinuing CREST-E because a preliminary analysis of the information “showed with high confidence that it was unlikely that the study would live able to demo that creatine was effective inward slowing loss of constituent inward early on symptomatic Huntington’s Disease.”

The study was carried out past times the Huntington Study Group (HSG) too led past times Dr. Steven Hersch of Massachusetts General Hospital too Dr. Giovanni Schifitto of the University of Rochester School of Medicine.

“The entire indicate of the CREST-E study was to decide whether creatine slows the course of study of hard disk or not, too the respond is, no, it does not,” Martha Nance, M.D., a fellow member of the HSG executive committee, said inward an e-mail. “Although this outcome is disappointing, it is withal important, equally it gives us a definite respond to the question: ‘I have got HD. Should I have got creatine?’ The respond is, ‘no.’”

“I recommend that all halt taking creatine,” Dr. LaVonne Goodman, the founder of Huntington’s Disease Drug Works (HDDW), said inward an e-mail.

False hopes

Huntington’s affliction typically reduces people’s unloose energy levels. Scientists idea that creatine, which cells role to shop energy, powerfulness assist compensate for the unloose energy deficit inward encephalon cells too enable them to survive.

Positive results inward fauna studies regarding the affect of creatine, the ascent of HDDW’s “treatment now” programme x years ago, too the advent of both CREST-E too a companion study inward presymptomatic individuals known equally PRECREST led to much discussion nigh the supplement inward the hard disk community.

Many people have got taken or considered taking creatine inward the hopes of avoiding or ameliorating symptoms.

I have got taken creatine for nigh x years, kickoff with my participation inward the HDDW program.

Just later receiving the tidings nigh CREST-E yesterday, I received an email from an private inquiring nigh where to buy creatine too what total to take. I responded that “it is straightaway recommended that nobody have got creatine.”

HDBuzz.net also reported on the terminate of CREST-E, calling the novel evidence against creatine “compelling.”

Awaiting HD-specific remedies

In mid-August, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders too Stroke too the HSG stopped a clinical case for coenzyme Q10, to a greater extent than or less other widely taken supplement.

I outlined my approach to hard disk supplements too the pros too cons of the thing inward a Feb article titled “To take, or non to take, unproven supplements inward the grapple against Huntington’s disease.” That article also reported on the hopes for PRECREST too CREST-E.

With the elimination of both coenzyme Q10 too creatine inward rapid succession, the hard disk community is all of a precipitous left without ii potential treatments that supplied significant  hope.

However, supplements lack what researchers mention to equally HD-specific approaches to treatments. They were non designed or marketed with hard disk inward mind, whereas the novel treatments currently nether study volition potentially assault the specific causes of Huntington’s.

Hope for effective treatments is on the ascent equally researchers too pharmaceutical firms fix for novel clinical trials such equally the Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., gene-silencing approach announced for the firstly one-half of 2015.

“The of import thing correct straightaway is to larn from ‘negative’ outcomes similar this,” the HDBuzz article observed. “Studies similar CREST-E have got helped us, equally a community, to acquire actually expert at designing, enrolling too running clinical trials, too agreement why detail treatments don’t work. Now nosotros have got the outcome of CREST-E, all that energy, enthusiasm too sense tin live directed into testing other experimental treatments with a higher conduct chances of success. One real solid produce goodness is that hundreds of volunteers are straightaway freed upwards to sign upwards for other clinical trials enrolling straightaway or inward the nigh future.”

For the latest tidings on hard disk enquiry too clinical trials, spotter the video below for the update past times Jody Corey-Bloom, M.D., Ph.D. (Note that the utter took house on Oct 27, earlier the proclamation nigh creatine.)

2014 Huntington's Disease Research Update: H5N1 presentation past times Dr. Jody Corey-Bloom from Gene Veritas on Vimeo.

The dire require for neurological treatments

I am straightaway rethinking my approach to supplements. I have got stopped taking coenzyme Q10.

I concur with the doctors’ recommendations to halt creatine. My breakfasts too dinners volition no longer include a heaping teaspoon of fruit-flavored creatine dissolved inward a drinking glass of water.

Container with over-the-counter creatine (photo past times Gene Veritas)

I volition discard my remaining provide of creatine simply maintain the container equally a slice of historical evidence inward the cry for for hard disk treatments.

It volition also serve equally a reminder of the dire require for genuinely effective approaches against a devastating affliction that has reminded the footing how the uncovering of the firstly effective drug for any neurological disorder has continued to elude science.

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