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Nitric Oxide may be beneficial for COVID-19

Nitric Oxide may be beneficial for COVID-19

Vitopia Health does not usually publish articles on products without strong clinical evidence.  However, these are not usual times and it is our goal to keep you informed about all new developments with regards to COVID-19.  In addition to IV vitamin-C treatment and the use of the prescription drugs hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, there is a new clinical trial at the University of Alabama at Birmingham based on Nitric Oxide.  Improving Nitric Oxide levels through diet, lifestyle, and Nitric Oxide supplements is something we have been advocating for many years because of the numerous health benefits.  It appears that anti-viral properties are another benefit of Nitric Oxide through it is not yet known whether taking it orally will have the same value as inhalation as outlined in the COVID-19 clinical trial.

If you would like to receive additional information and updates on this and other COVID-19 clinical trials we are tracking, or information on how to test and improve Nitric Oxide levels, please email us at customercare@vitopiahealth.com.  

Featured in Neuroscience April 10, 2020

Clinical trial for the use of nitric oxide to treat severe COVID-19

Previous research found nitric oxide has antiviral properties against coronaviruses.

Summary: A new clinical trial is enrolling patients with severe COVID-19 symptoms to assess the effect of nitric oxide in treating the virus. Previous research found nitric oxide has antiviral properties against coronaviruses. The effect was tested and demonstrated during the SARS outbreak in the early 2000s.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham has been selected to begin enrolling patients in an international study assessing the use of inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) to improve outcomes for COVID-19 patients with severely damaged lungs.

Currently, there are no approved treatment options available against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, although many medications are currently being tested to see if they may be effective. Acute respiratory distress syndrome, a severe form of lung failure, is the leading cause of death in COVID-19.

iNO has been used for the treatment of failing lungs, but it was also found to have antiviral properties against coronaviruses. The antiviral effect of iNO was tested and demonstrated during the 2002-2003 SARS pandemic, which was caused by a similar coronavirus called the SARS-CoV virus.

When lungs are failing, some parts of the lungs receive air while some do not. iNO is a gas that improves the blood flow to those areas of the lung that are receiving air, boosting the amount of oxygen circulating in the bloodstream. It also reduces the work of the right side of the heart, which is under extreme stress during conditions of lung failure, such as severe COVID-19 infection.

With the start of this trial, any COVID-19 patient who is admitted to UAB’s ICU and is breathing with the assistance of a ventilator may potentially qualify for the study.

iNO has been used for the treatment of failing lungs, but it was also found to have antiviral properties against coronaviruses. 

“This trial will allow the sickest COVID-19 patients at UAB access to a rescue therapy that may have antiviral benefits in addition to improving the status of lungs,” said Vibhu Parcha, M.D., a research fellow with UAB’s Division of Cardiovascular Disease.

Pankaj Arora, M.D., assistant professor in the division, is spearheading UAB’s efforts in providing this treatment option to eligible COVID-19 patients. The mechanism of benefit of iNO could be the direct antiviral effect as shown in the SARS 2003 pandemic, modulation of oxidative stress, or improvement of the ventilation-perfusion matching in the lungs, Arora says. His group plans to study the cardiovascular effects of high-dose inhaled NO in an ancillary effort to the primary clinical trial.

“In humans, nitric oxide is generated within the blood vessels and regulates blood pressure, and prevents the formation of clots and also destroys potential toxins,” Arora said.

The UAB team says this pandemic has led to an extraordinary unifying response by the medical community, including ICU physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, clinical trial specialists, reviewers, and medical administrators, allowing for faster than normal approvals for potentially life-saving research studies.

“The fact that we are able to get this trial started quickly was due to collaborations across specialties and fields of expertise at UAB with the common goal of providing the highest quality of scientifically proven care for our COVID-19 patients,” Arora said. “We are all trying to fight this together, and I hope, with our resilience, we shall overcome these difficult times.”

Source:  University of Alabama Birmingham

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