THE VANGUARD BLOG
Physician-curated deep dives into the science of men's health optimization.
Monograph
AICAR (5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide), also called acadesine or simply AICA riboside, is an AMP analog that activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) — the central cellular energy sensor and metabolic regulator. Activation of…
30 May 2026
Monograph
Pinealon (Glu-Asp-Arg) is a synthetic tripeptide developed by Vladimir Khavinson and colleagues at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology. It is part of the broader Khavinson 'short peptide' bioregulator program, which has…
30 May 2026
Monograph
Semax (a synthetic analog of the N-terminal fragment of ACTH 4-10) and Selank (a synthetic analog of tuftsin) were developed by Russian scientific research institutes beginning in the 1980s-1990s. Both are registered medications in Russia for…
30 May 2026
Monograph
Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA, ursodiol) is a hydrophilic, low-toxicity bile acid that occurs naturally as a minor component of human bile (~1-3% of total bile acids) and as a major component of bear bile. Synthetic UDCA was developed in the 1970s and…
30 May 2026
Monograph
Colchicine is an alkaloid extracted from autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale), with documented medical use for over 2,000 years. Its modern indications include acute and prophylactic gout, familial Mediterranean fever, and pericarditis. Over the past…
30 May 2026
Monograph
Specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) are a family of bioactive lipid mediators derived enzymatically from omega-3 fatty acids — primarily EPA and DHA. They include the resolvins (E-series from EPA, D-series from DHA), protectins (from DHA),…
30 May 2026
Monograph
Niacin (nicotinic acid, vitamin B3) at pharmacologic doses (typically 1,500-2,000 mg/day) has substantial effects on the lipid profile — raising HDL by 15-35%, lowering triglycerides by 20-50%, lowering LDL by 5-25%, and lowering lipoprotein(a) by…
30 May 2026
Monograph
Nattokinase is a serine protease enzyme extracted from natto, the traditional Japanese fermented soybean food. It was discovered and characterized by Sumi and colleagues in 1987 as the active fibrinolytic constituent in natto, with strong in vitro…
30 May 2026
Monograph
The DUTCH test (Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones, Precision Analytical) measures a panel of steroid hormones and their metabolites from dried urine spots collected at specified times across a 24-hour period. The test has become a popular…
30 May 2026
Monograph
Thyroid evaluation in U.S. clinical practice traditionally starts with thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) — the most sensitive marker of thyroid status in adults with intact hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis function. Free T4, free T3, reverse T3,…
30 May 2026
Monograph
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) describes an excessive concentration of bacteria in the small intestine, traditionally defined as ≥10⁵ colony-forming units per mL on small bowel aspirate. The condition has been increasingly diagnosed…
30 May 2026
Monograph
Wrist-worn and finger-worn sleep tracking has become ubiquitous in the optimization community. Two distinct categories of devices are commonly confused: FDA-cleared home sleep apnea test (HSAT) devices like WatchPAT (Itamar Medical), and consumer…
30 May 2026
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