The Efficacy of Oral Mitoquinone (MitoQ) Supplementation for Improving Physiological in Middle-aged and Older Adults

Overall, the proposed research project has the long-term potential to influence clinical
practice by establishing novel therapies for treating multiple domains of age-associated
physiological dysfunction and thereby reducing the risk of clinical disease and disability.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Women will be confirmed as postmenopausal (either natural or surgical) based on
cessation of menses for >1 year.

- Ability to provide informed consent

- Baseline brachial flow-mediated dilation (FMD) < 6%Δ (rationale: non-invasive
screening to ensure exclusion of subjects with exceptionally high baseline endothelial
function.

- Ability to perform motor and cognitive tests (e.g., can rise from a chair, walk for 2
min, climb 10 stairs)

- Willing to accept random assignment to condition

Exclusion Criteria:

- Current smoking

- Having past or present alcohol dependence or abuse, as defined by the American
Psychiatry Association, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

- Body mass index (BMI) >40 kg/m2 (FMD measurements can be inaccurate in severely obese
patients)

- Chronic clinical diseases (e.g., coronary artery/peripheral artery/cerebrovascular
diseases, diabetes, chronic kidney disease requiring dialysis, neurological disorders
or diseases that may affect motor/cognitive functions [multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's
disease, polio, Alzheimer's disease, dementia or other brain diseases of aging]),
except hypertension and hyperlipidemia

- Regular vigorous aerobic/endurance exercise (>3 vigorous bouts/week).

- Not weight stable in the prior 3 months (>2 kg weight change) or unwilling to remain
weight stable throughout study (rationale: recent weight change or weight loss can
influence vascular function.

- Current treatment or recent cessation (< 3 mo) of hormone replacement therapy

- Moderate or severe peripheral artery disease (ankle-brachial index <0.7).

- A graded exercise test will be performed by all subjects, if there is physician
concern or an adverse event, the subject will not participate in a maximal oxygen
consumption (VO2max) test (this will be determined in accordance with stated
contraindications for exercise testing provided by the American Heart Association).

- Thyroid disease that is not controlled by medications or <3 month's use of a
particular medication and/or dosage (uncontrolled thyroid diseases are associated with
alterations in vascular function).