Nutraceuticals and nootropics for anti-aging

Vioxx scare sends arthritis patients scrambling for alternatives, such as Cetyl-Myristoleate.

Vioxx is, or was, an anti-inflammatory drug widely used by arthritis patients to control pain in the joints. The drug was recently taken off the market because it was found to cause heart damage in some people who used it. Other drugs in the same category, ‘COX-2 inhibitors’, are also being removed from the market. Although the great majority of users experienced no such problems, they now find themselves without the drugs that had served them well.

Of course, arthritis sufferers are looking for alternatives. One such alternative is cetyl-myristoleate — a supplement that has been available for about ten years and is highly rated by those who have been lucky enough to hear about it and given it a try.

It is still not known how cetyl-myristoleate (CM) produces its pain-reducing effects in joints affected by osteo-arthritis. CM was discovered several decades ago by a scientist who wondered why mice, unlike other mammals, seemed to be immune to osteo-arthritis. Working in his spare time he isolated a compound from mice that seemed to account for the effect. It was an unusual fatty acid ester, cetyl-myristoleate.

CM is currently on the market in two forms: softgels for oral use, and a topical cream. The effectiveness of both of these formulations has been confirmed in clinical trials.

It should be noted that CM products typically contain both cetyl-myristoleate and closely related compounds because it is too difficult to make pure CM. The active ingredient is usually considered to be CM itself; it is not known whether or not the related compounds are active, but it is known that they are harmless. This situation is simply a matter of practical necessity — if it were feasible to make pure CM (without the related compounds) at an affordable price, manufacturers would undoubtedly do so. As things stand, however, the product label may say ‘500 mg softgels’, but the actual CM content is probably about 100 mg.

We can’t resist mentioning that we at LifeLink believe that the Vioxx scare is just another in a long series of media-instigated over-reactions which are plaguing our society and reducing our access to useful medical technologies. While it is tragic when anyone comes to harm from the side effects of drugs or other medical aids, we all know that there are some risks in the use of these things, as there are in all aspects of life. If we attempt to remove all risks in life by banning everything that has any risk, we will have nothing left. If we ban every drug or supplement that can have serious side effects for someone, and allow the manufacturers to be sued for billions of dollars by opportunists and their unscrupulous lawyers, then we will see the ‘pipeline’ of new drugs run dry. And that is exactly what is happening — fewer and fewer innovative new drugs are making it to the market, and those that do make it are outrageously expensive.

Link to news article about Cetyl-Myristoleate:

OTC Supplement Eases Arthritis Pain

Cetylated fatty acids improve knee function in patients with osteoarthritis.

Effect of a cetylated fatty acid topical cream on functional mobility and quality of life of patients with osteoarthritis.

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LifeLink carries Cetyl-Myristoleate in 500 mg softgels (containing 100 mg of CM).