Compounds & Therapies
5-Amino-1MQ — NNMT Inhibitor
5-Amino-1-methylquinolinium iodide (5-amino-1MQ) is a small-molecule inhibitor of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), the enzyme that methylates nicotinamide using S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) as a methyl donor. Two metabolic problems flow from…
Bempedoic Acid (Nexletol)
Bempedoic acid is the first ATP-citrate lyase inhibitor approved for clinical use, and the first oral non-statin to demonstrate cardiovascular outcome benefit in a large randomized trial. It lowers LDL cholesterol by inhibiting ATP-citrate lyase…
Inclisiran (Leqvio)
Inclisiran is a small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutic that silences the production of PCSK9 in the liver. Functionally, the result is the same as the monoclonal antibody PCSK9 inhibitors (evolocumab, alirocumab): more LDL receptors on hepatocyte…
Practices & Lifestyle
ACE Inhibitors (Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors): A Practical Guide
Overview Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are a class of antihypertensive medications that block the conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II by the ACE enzyme, thereby reducing vasoconstriction, decreasing aldosterone secretion, and lowering blood pressure. They are among…
ARBs (Angiotensin Receptor Blockers): A Practical Guide
Overview Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) are a class of antihypertensive drugs that block the AT1 receptor (angiotensin II type 1 receptor), preventing angiotensin II from exerting its vasoconstrictor, pro-fibrotic, and pro-inflammatory effects — without affecting ACE activity or…
Beta-Blockers and Aging: A Practical Guide
Overview Beta-adrenergic receptor blockers (beta-blockers) are a class of medications that competitively block catecholamine (epinephrine, norepinephrine) binding at beta-adrenergic receptors (β1, β2, β3). They are among the oldest and most widely prescribed cardiovascular drug classes, with…
Dasatinib + Quercetin (D+Q Senolytic Combination): A Practical Guide
Overview The combination of dasatinib (a BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved for chronic myelogenous leukemia) and quercetin (a plant flavonoid, described separately in the polyphenols monograph) represents the first clinically tested senolytic therapy — a pharmacological approach…
Glutathione (GSH): A Practical Guide
Overview Glutathione (GSH; γ-L-glutamyl-L-cysteinyl-glycine) is the most abundant endogenous antioxidant in the human body — present at millimolar concentrations inside nearly every cell. It is a tripeptide synthesized intracellularly from glutamate, cysteine, and glycine via two ATP-dependent…
Metformin: A Practical Guide
Overview Metformin (dimethylbiguanide) is a first-line oral anti-hyperglycemic agent derived from galegine, a natural compound found in French
MitoQ (Mitoquinone): A Practical Guide
Overview MitoQ (mitoquinone mesylate; [10-(4,5-dimethoxy-2-methyl-3,6-dioxo-1,4-cyclohexadien-1-yl) decyl]triphenylphosphonium mesylate) is a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant developed by Michael Murphy and Robin Smith at the University of Otago, New Zealand, in the late 1990s and…
Navitoclax (ABT-263): A Practical Guide
Overview Navitoclax (ABT-263) is a small-molecule BH3 mimetic — a drug that mimics the BH3 (Bcl-2 homology domain 3) domain of pro-apoptotic proteins to inhibit anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family members (BCL-2, BCL-XL, BCL-W). It was developed by AbbVie as an oncology agent targeting BCL-2-dependent…
PCSK9 Inhibitors: A Practical Guide
Overview PCSK9 inhibitors are a class of biologic agents (monoclonal antibodies) that block proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) — a circulating protein that promotes degradation of LDL receptors (LDLRs) on the surface of hepatocytes. By inhibiting PCSK9, these drugs prevent…
Propionyl-L-Carnitine (PLC): A Practical Guide
Overview Propionyl-L-carnitine (PLC; also known as glycine propionyl-L-carnitine or GPLC in some formulations) is an esterified form of L-carnitine in which a propionyl group is attached to the 3-hydroxyl of L-carnitine. Unlike standard L-carnitine (which facilitates long-chain fatty acid…