This page describes pharmacological agents that may have legal restrictions, side effects, and drug interactions in your jurisdiction. Information is for educational research only — consult a clinician before considering any compound.

Browse

Cardiogen

Khavinson tetrapeptide AEDR (Ala-Glu-Asp-Arg, 489.47 Da) marketed as a "cardiac bioregulator." Claimed indications: post-MI recovery adjunct, age-related cardiomyopathy, chronic heart failure suppo…

Aliases (8)

Cardiogen · AEDR · AEDR tetrapeptide · Ala-Glu-Asp-Arg · H-Ala-Glu-Asp-Arg-OH · AKS-K peptide complex (oral capsule formulation) · КАРДИОГЕН · Kardiogen

TYPICAL DOSE

Lyophilized vial, typically 20 mg

Daily

ROUTE

—

CYCLE

—

STORAGE

—

Overview

What is Cardiogen?

Cardiogen (Ala-Glu-Asp-Arg) is a synthetic tetrapeptide bioregulator developed by the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology. It is part of the Khavinson peptide family, designed for cardiovascular tissue support and used in Russia/Eastern Europe as an OTC longevity peptide.

Key Benefits

Reported support of cardiac myocyte function, improvement in cardiovascular markers in aged populations (Russian clinical literature), and putative anti-aging effect on cardiac and vascular tissue.

Mechanism of Action

Short peptide bioregulator hypothesized to penetrate cells and bind histone-DNA complexes, modulating gene expression in cardiac and vascular tissue. Mechanistic detail is preliminary; bulk of evidence is from Khavinson-school clinical observation.

Pharmacokinetics

PeakHalf-life

Approximate curve — visual aid only, not data-precise PK

Research Indications

Most Effective

Cardiac Tissue Support

Preclinical models suggest cardiomyocyte proliferation stimulation and apoptosis suppression through p53 downregulation

Most Effective

Post-Injury Remodeling

Coronary artery ligation mouse models suggest reduced necrotic zones and improved survival outcomes

Most Effective

Chronic Heart Conditions

Russian clinical practice uses Cardiogen in treatment protocols for coronary heart disease, hypertension, and heart failure

Effective

Cytoskeletal Protein Upregulation

Enhances expression of actin, vimentin, and tubulin 2-5x in fibroblasts, supporting cellular structural integrity

Effective

Nuclear Matrix Support

Increases lamin A and lamin C expression 2-3x, supporting nuclear architecture and gene regulation

Effective

Anti-Apoptotic Effects

Suppresses p53 protein expression in cardiomyocytes, reducing programmed cell death in cardiac tissue

Peptide Interactions

Other Khavinson organ-specific bioregulators

Synergistic

Cardiogen + Pinealon + Epithalon + Vesugen is the textbook Khavinson "comprehensive longevity protocol" framing. Theoretical only; no head-to-head data showi…

BPC-157 / TB-500

Synergistic

pep-pedia lists "theoretical synergy" via complementary tissue-repair mechanisms. Pure narrative; no published combination studies. BPC-157 has its own evide…

Conventional cardiac medications

Synergistic

listed as "monitor combination" by pep-pedia. For a 20yo with no cardiac disease, this is irrelevant.

Other Khavinson tetrapeptides simultaneously

Avoid

(AEDR/Cardiogen, AEDG/Epithalon, EDR/Pinealon, KE/Thymogen, KED/Vesugen, etc.) — running multiple at once makes attribution impossible and stacks the single-…

Active cancer / known malignancy.

Avoid

Pro-survival, p53-suppressive in cardiomyocyte context. Default to caution.

Active anabolic / pro-proliferative growth-factor stacks (high-dose IGF-1, GH).

Avoid

Pep-pedia flags this as "monitor for excessive fibroblast activation." Theoretical; no characterized interaction.

BPC-157

Synergistic

Theoretical synergy based on complementary mechanisms - Cardiogen supports cardiac tissue while BPC-157 promotes healing in gut and soft tissues. No published combination studies exist.

TB-500

Synergistic

Theoretical synergy based on complementary mechanisms - TB-500 promotes blood vessel formation and broad tissue repair while Cardiogen provides heart-specific support. No published combination studies exist.

Pinealon

Compatible

Complementary Khavinson bioregulators targeting different organ systems. Pinealon supports neuroprotection while Cardiogen targets cardiac tissue. Routinely combined in Russian longevity protocols.

Cartalax

Compatible

Fellow Khavinson bioregulator targeting cartilage and connective tissue. Different tissue specificity allows combination without overlap. Used together in comprehensive anti-aging protocols.

Thymosin Alpha-1

Compatible

Thymosin Alpha-1 supports immune modulation while Cardiogen targets cardiac tissue. Different mechanisms with no known interactions. May complement each other in recovery protocols.

Epitalon

Synergistic

Theoretical synergy through complementary pathways. Epitalon activates telomerase and regulates pineal function while Cardiogen supports cardiac tissue maintenance. Combined in Russian geroprotective protocols but no published combination studies exist.

Conventional Cardiovascular Medications

Monitor

Russian clinical practice uses Cardiogen alongside conventional treatments for heart conditions. Monitor cardiovascular parameters when combining with existing cardiac medications.

Growth Factors (IGF-1, HGH)

Monitor

Both affect tissue proliferation pathways. Monitor for excessive fibroblast activation or unexpected tissue changes when combining growth-promoting compounds.

What to Expect

Week 1
Tolerability and dose-response.
Week 2-4
Early effect window.
Week 4-8
Peak benefit assessment.
Week 8+
Cycle decision point.

Side Effects & Safety

Common (>10%): None reliably above placebo background per Russian clinical experience reports. (Caveat: small sample, no controlled safety data.)
Less common (1-10%): Mild GI discomfort (oral), injection-site reaction (injectable), rare reports of fatigue (1 of 2 reported in pep-pedia poll data — n is too small to be meaningful). No headache pattern reported, in contrast to pinealon.
Rare-serious (<1%): Allergic reaction to peptide / excipients. No documented organ toxicity in available preclinical literature; no documented dependence; no withdrawal syndrome. "No known signal" rather than "definitively safe."
Specific watch periods: None established. Treat first 1-2 weeks of any cycle as initiation-monitoring window.
Theoretical concerns:
- Active malignancy contraindication. Cardiogen suppresses p53 in the cardiac context (anti-apoptotic / pro-survival). Generic concern: pro-survival peptides during active or prior malignancy. The 2009 M-1 sarcoma paper showing tumor inhibition in senescent rats argues the other direction — and that internal contradiction is itself a flag. Net: avoid during active cancer, default to caution.
- Pregnancy / lactation: contraindicated (no safety data).
- Co-administration with conventional cardiac medications. Russian protocols use Cardiogen alongside standard cardiac therapy without reported issues. No characterized interactions; no PK data to ground predictions. If anyone with actual cardiac disease pursued this, it should be with cardiology input, not as DIY adjunct.