Cortagen vs Dihexa
Side-by-side comparison of key properties, dosing, and research.
- Summary
- Cortagen is a synthetic tetrapeptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Pro) developed at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation as a cardioprotective and vascular bioregulator. It stimulates repair of cardiac and vascular tissue, with demonstrated benefits for coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis, and cardiac aging.
- Dihexa is a potent experimental oligopeptide derived from angiotensin IV that dramatically enhances synaptogenesis. Preclinical research shows cognitive enhancement orders of magnitude more potent than BDNF — it is considered one of the most powerful nootropic compounds in research, but has very limited human safety data.
- Half-Life
- Short peptide half-life; gene regulatory effects persist beyond peptide clearance
- Unknown (limited pharmacokinetic data)
- Admin Route
- SubQ, IM, Oral
- Oral, SubQ, Topical
- Research
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- Typical Dose
- 10 mg SC or IM daily
- 5–10 mg
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Daily
- Key Benefits
- Cardioprotective — protects cardiac tissue from ischemic damage
- Promotes cardiac regeneration and repair
- Improves vascular endothelium function
- Reduces atherosclerosis progression
- Anti-aging effect on heart muscle cells
- Improves cardiac output and exercise capacity
- Reduces oxidative stress in cardiovascular tissue
- May reduce arrhythmia frequency
- Dramatically increases synapse formation (potentially 10 million× more potent than BDNF in animal models)
- Enhances memory and learning
- May reverse cognitive decline
- Improves neuroplasticity and executive function
- Long-lasting cognitive benefits from short courses
- Potential therapeutic agent for Alzheimer's
- Side Effects
- Excellent safety profile
- Mild injection site reactions
- Rare: transient hypotension
- Rare: mild arrhythmia at initiation in cardiac patients
- Headache
- Irritability
- Brain fog during washout period
- Unknown long-term effects (insufficient data)
- Stacks With
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