Equol for artery health and memory in older adults
Official title: Arterial Stiffness, Cognition, and Equol (ACE)
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11295480 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Sees if taking a daily 10 mg equol pill for 24 months helps slow memory decline and improve artery stiffness and brain white matter in people aged 70 and older without dementia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | February 15, 2022 |
| Project end | January 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,695,875 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG074971-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11295480 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are adults aged 70 or older without dementia who can take a daily supplement, attend clinic visits, and have MRI scans.
✕Less likely to help
People who already have dementia, cannot undergo MRI, have contraindications to the supplement (for example, severe soy allergy), or are unwilling to attend regular visits are unlikely to benefit from participating.
What this research studies
You would be randomly assigned to take a daily 10 mg equol supplement or a matching placebo for two years. The team will give regular memory and thinking tests, measure artery stiffness, and take brain scans to look for white matter lesions. They will also check whether your gut bacteria can turn soy compounds into equol, since that may change how well the supplement works. Visits and tests take place at the University of Pittsburgh with about 400 participants enrolled.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If effective, the supplement could slow age-related memory decline and reduce vascular brain injury by improving artery stiffness.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research is mixed: observational Japanese studies and subgroup analyses suggested equol links to better cognition and a short RCT showed improved arterial stiffness, while larger U.S. trials of soy isoflavones were overall negative.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sekikawa, Akira — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Sekikawa, Akira
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Arterial stiffness, cognition, and equol: a trial to help aging adults
A large, multi-site study tests whether taking equol daily for two years can slow arterial stiffness, brain changes, and thinking difficulties in older adults without dementia.
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Effects of equol supplementation on cognitive decline and arterial stiffness in older adults
This study is looking at whether taking a daily soy-based supplement called equol can help improve brain health and blood vessel flexibility in people aged 70 and older who don’t have dementia, by comparing the effects of the supplement to a placebo over two years.
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The relationship between arterial stiffness and brain health in U.S. Hispanics/Latinos
This study is looking at how stiff arteries might impact brain health and thinking skills, especially in older Hispanic/Latino adults, to see if there’s a link between heart health and conditions like Alzheimer's disease.
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A study will create a standardized cognitive test battery for older veterans and their midlife children to understand how early-life war exposure might influence dementia risk.
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Cognition After War: A New, Harmonized Cognitive Check for Older Adults and Their Children
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.