Published Human Research Gives Family Caregivers a Way to Evaluate Joint Supplements

Three published human studies of the complete Cartigenix HP formulation offer the kind of named, verifiable evidence a caregiver can bring to a family member's clinician

Scottsdale, AZ, Oct. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving counted 63 million family caregivers in the United States in 2025, a 45% increase over the past decade.¹ That role often extends to researching and selecting health products for the family members in their care, which places the work of evaluating those products on the caregiver rather than the user. For a caregiver researching how to choose a joint and cartilage supplement, published evidence on the specific product makes it possible to evaluate a supplement directly. Calroy Health Sciences, the science-driven dietary supplement company behind Cartigenix HP® with RestorCel®, has published three human studies on the complete formulation, including a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

"Human studies on the finished product give a caregiver results they can evaluate and bring to a clinician," Tom Bayne, DC, educator with Calroy Health Sciences, said. "Most joint supplements are backed by research on single ingredients, so studies on the complete formulation give caregivers a way to judge the product itself."

KEY FACTS

• Cartigenix HP has been evaluated in three published human studies: Desai 2022 (prospective, n=1,236), Desai 2024 (observational, n=394), and Vaidya 2025 (randomized, placebo-controlled, n=62), more than 1,600 participants in total.*†
• In the placebo-controlled trial, participants showed an average 64% reduction in WOMAC pain scores and a 50% improvement in walking distance within 90 days, with significant increases in cartilage regeneration biomarkers (PIIANP and PIICP) and noticeable changes as early as 15 days.*†
• The published studies enrolled adults ranging in age from 18 to 75 and no adverse events were reported across the three published human studies.*†

How a Caregiver Evaluates a Joint Supplement for a Family Member

Evaluating a product for another person removes the margin for trial and error that self-selection allows. When the researcher and the user are not the same person, the decision rests on what can be read and verified in advance rather than on personal experience over time. Published research on the specific product makes that kind of advance evaluation possible.

What the Placebo-Controlled Trial Measured

The Vaidya 2025 trial measured cartilage biomarkers alongside participant-reported outcomes, documenting significant increases in cartilage regeneration biomarkers (PIIANP and PIICP) and significant decreases in cartilage degeneration biomarkers (CTX-II and COMP) at 90 days.*†

PIIANP and PIICP are validated markers of type II procollagen, the building block of cartilage matrix. An increase in these biomarkers in a research setting indicates that cartilage matrix regeneration was occurring.* They are research tools, not clinical lab tests a healthcare provider would order in routine practice.

For a caregiver, this is the part of the record a clinician can review directly: named markers, a named comparison group, and a published paper.

Research a Family Can Bring to a Doctor

Cartigenix HP has been evaluated in three published human studies spanning prospective, observational, and randomized controlled designs. In the Vaidya 2025 placebo-controlled trial, participants showed a 64% average reduction in WOMAC pain scale scores and a 50% average improvement in walking distance on the six-minute walk test over 90 days, with measurable cartilage regeneration biomarkers documented at the same point.*†

Supplement use is common among older adults. A 2026 National Center for Health Statistics data brief found that 75.9% of adults age 60 and older had used a dietary supplement in the past 30 days.² When a supplement carries published human research, a clinician can review how it was studied and what the results showed, rather than relying on an ingredient label.

With tens of millions of family caregivers now researching health products on someone else's behalf, published human research on a finished product is a matter of public record they can locate, read, and evaluate. Across three studies, that record covers more than 1,600 participants and the complete Cartigenix HP with RestorCel formulation.*†

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: What has been published about Cartigenix HP with RestorCel?

Answer: Three human studies on the complete formulation, including a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. In that trial, participants showed a 64% reduction in WOMAC pain scores and a 50% increase in walking distance within 90 days, with measurable cartilage regeneration biomarkers.*†

Question: Is Cartigenix HP appropriate for older adults?

Answer: The published studies enrolled adults ranging in age from 18 to 75. A family member's healthcare provider should be consulted before starting any new supplement, particularly alongside prescription medications.

Question: How can a caregiver evaluate a joint supplement for a family member?

Answer: A clinician can directly review human research conducted on the finished product, published in peer-reviewed journals. Cartigenix HP with RestorCel was evaluated as a complete product across three published human studies, including a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.*†

Question: What are cartilage regeneration biomarkers? 

Answer: Cartilage regeneration biomarkers are objective biological measures that detect activity at the tissue level of cartilage. Unlike participant-reported outcomes, which capture how individuals describe their comfort and mobility, biomarkers provide a direct, measurable signal from the tissue itself. In the joint health supplement category, their inclusion in a clinical study is uncommon.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

†As shown in a placebo-controlled, randomized, controlled human research study (Vaidya 2025) and an observational study (Desai 2024). A prospective study (n=1,236) similarly demonstrated significant improvements in pain scores, along with quality of life measures (Desai 2022).

¹Caregiving in the US 2025. AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, 2025, doi:10.26419/ppi.00373.001.

²Stierman B, Couch CA, Gahche JJ, Mishra S. Dietary Supplement Use: United States, August 2021–August 2023. NCHS Data Brief No. 561. National Center for Health Statistics, May 2026. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK622825/.

About Calroy Health Sciences
Calroy Health Sciences is a science-driven dietary supplement company dedicated to supporting foundational health. Co-founded by CEO Ed Hoyt and Chief Scientific Officer Chen Chen, PhD, Calroy brings more than three decades of combined experience in the dietary supplement industry. The company's breakthrough products — Arterosil HP® with MonitumRS®, Vascanox HP® with Noxa24®, and Cartigenix HP® with RestorCel® — are developed through a research-first approach that includes studying the finished formulated product, not just individual ingredients. 

Calroy's research has been published in peer-reviewed journals and is conducted in partnership with major academic institutions, leading clinicians and researchers. The company also holds patents on its products and its microfluidic chip testing technology. For more information, visit calroy.com.

Sarah Evans, CEO
Zen Media 
sarah@zenmedia.com