Alegre, J, Rosés, J M, Javierre, C et al. · Revista clinica espanola · 2010 · DOI
Researchers tested whether a supplement called NADH could help people with ME/CFS feel less fatigued and perform better. In this 3-month study, some patients received 20mg of NADH daily while others received a placebo (inactive pill), and neither group knew which they were getting. The NADH group showed modest improvements in anxiety and heart rate response to stress, but did not improve fatigue, daily functioning, sleep, or overall quality of life compared to placebo.
This study addresses whether cellular energy metabolism—a proposed pathophysiological mechanism in ME/CFS—can be therapeutically targeted with NADH supplementation. The findings temper optimism about NADH as a broad-spectrum treatment while identifying potential cardiovascular and mood-related benefits worth investigating further.
This study does not prove that NADH is ineffective in ME/CFS, only that oral 20mg daily did not substantially improve fatigue or functioning in this cohort; higher doses, longer duration, or patient subgroups may respond differently. The modest improvements in anxiety and stress-test heart rate do not establish clinical meaningfulness or justify routine use. The study does not examine whether NADH deficiency actually exists in ME/CFS patients or whether the observed improvements reflect a real mechanism or chance findings.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
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