The Engine and the Fire: How We Target the Twin Roots of Chronic Disease—Inflammation and Mitochondrial Dysfunction
By Dr. Stefano Sinicropi, Founder of HyperCharge Health
Disclaimer: This blog is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. The treatments described should only be considered after a consultation and under the direct supervision of a qualified medical expert.
The Question I Ask Every Patient
In my years of practice in integrative health here in the Twin Cities, I’ve sat with thousands of patients struggling with a constellation of chronic conditions. They come to my Edina clinic with separate diagnoses—arthritis, brain fog, autoimmune disorders, heart disease, digestive issues—each managed by a different specialist. After listening to their story, I often ask a simple question: "What if these aren't separate diseases, but different symptoms of the same core problem?"
This question is the foundation of everything we do at HyperCharge Health. Through decades of clinical experience and a deep dive into medical research, a clear pattern has emerged. The vast majority of chronic, age-related diseases are not independent events. Instead, they are the downstream consequences of two interconnected, fundamental breakdowns at the cellular level: chronic inflammation (the fire) and mitochondrial dysfunction (the engine failure).
Understanding this two-headed dragon is the first step to true healing. Treating it is the key to reclaiming your health.
The Fire: Understanding Inflammation, The Body’s Two-Faced Flame
In medicine, inflammation is the body's protective response to injury or infection, a complex biological process designed to remove harmful stimuli and initiate healing. When you get a cut, the redness and swelling you feel is acute, life-saving inflammation. The problem arises when this inflammatory response never shuts off. This is chronic inflammation. I recently discussed this very topic with Neil Cannon, author of The Inflammation Solution, on my podcast. When I asked him to define it, he framed it this way:
"I define chronic inflammation as a systemic, low-grade state of immune activation driven by modern lifestyle factors. It's not a localized fire; it's a slow, smoldering burn that silently degrades the body from the inside out."
This is the "bad" fire—the arsonist that silently degrades our tissues and drives disease. Hear our full discussion below:
The Engine: Your Mitochondria, The Ancient Power Within
Many people remember hearing about mitochondria in high school biology, often dismissed with the simple moniker "the powerhouses of the cell." This is a massive understatement. To truly understand health and disease, you must understand mitochondria.
You have quadrillions of these tiny structures in your body—they make up a full 10% of your body weight. But here is the most fascinating part: they are not originally "us." The leading scientific theory of their origin, the endosymbiotic theory, posits that over a billion years ago, mitochondria were free-living bacteria that were engulfed by our primitive single-celled ancestors. A deal was struck: the bacteria received shelter, and our ancestral cells received a continuous, massive supply of energy.
This is why mitochondria have their own unique DNA (mtDNA) and why they act as the primary interface between our bodies and the outside world. They are the arbiters of our energy. Every bite of food we eat and every breath of air we take is ultimately processed by our mitochondria to create the energy currency, ATP, that fuels every single function in our body—from a heartbeat to a thought.
The study of mitochondria is so critical because their health dictates our health. When they are functioning optimally, we are vibrant and resilient. When they become damaged and dysfunctional—from poor diet, toxins, stress, and the constant assault of chronic inflammation—the entire power grid of our body begins to fail. Mitochondrial dysfunction isn't a side effect of chronic disease; in many cases, it is the root cause. This power failure then creates a vicious cycle, as dysfunctional mitochondria spew out more inflammatory signals, fanning the very flames of the fire that damaged them in the first place.
The Common Denominator: How This Duo Drives Disease
Once you view disease through this lens, the connections become obvious.
Neurodegenerative Conditions (e.g., Alzheimer's): A brain with failing mitochondria cannot clear waste proteins, while chronic neuroinflammation accelerates the damage [1].
Autoimmune Disorders (e.g., Rheumatoid Arthritis): Dysfunctional mitochondria in immune cells can cause them to become hyper-reactive, driving the inflammatory attack against the body's own tissues [2].
Osteoarthritis: Low-grade joint inflammation degrades cartilage, while mitochondrial dysfunction prevents the cartilage cells from producing the energy needed to repair it [3].
Heart and Vascular Disease & Hypertension: Inflammation drives plaque buildup and causes the delicate lining of our blood vessels (the endothelium) to become stiff and damaged. At the same time, mitochondrial dysfunction within these same cells impairs their ability to produce nitric oxide—the body's primary vasodilator. The result is stiff, constricted blood vessels, a primary driver of high blood pressure (hypertension) [4, 9].
Digestive Disorders (e.g., IBD, Leaky Gut): A leaky gut is often a symptom of mitochondrial dysfunction in the high-energy intestinal lining, which then triggers massive, systemic inflammation [5].
The HyperCharge Solution: Extinguishing the Fire & Restarting the Engine
If most chronic diseases share the same root causes, then the most effective treatments must target those root causes. This is the entire premise of our protocols. We go to the source with a sophisticated toolkit of cellular medicine.
Advanced Bioregulatory Peptides: Precision Healing We utilize peptides like BPC 157 for systemic anti-inflammatory effects and Copper Tripeptide (GHK-Cu), a master modulator of gene expression, to help reset cellular function [10].
Targeting the Engine Directly: Mitochondrial Peptides We use highly specialized peptides that work directly on the mitochondria themselves, such as SS-31, a true "mitochondrial mechanic" that stabilizes the inner membrane to improve efficiency [12], and MOTS-c, a natural signaling molecule that restores metabolic balance system-wide [13].
Refueling the System with NAD+ and Glutathione We use IV infusions of NAD+, a critical coenzyme for mitochondrial energy production and inflammation control [11], and Glutathione, the body's master antioxidant, to protect cells from the collateral damage of this vicious cycle.
Advanced Energy Technologies: Rebooting Your Cells We combine this biochemical support with a suite of cutting-edge technologies.
Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) Therapy: PEMF has a dual action, shown to both reduce inflammatory markers [6] and stimulate mitochondrial energy production [7].
Photobiomodulation: A Spectrum of Healing: Not all light therapy is the same. We use different parts of the light spectrum to achieve distinct biological effects.
Red and Near-Infrared (NIR) Light: This is the primary tool for restarting the mitochondrial engine. Light in this range penetrates deep into the tissues and is absorbed by cytochrome c oxidase in the mitochondria, directly stimulating ATP production. This is pure cellular energy, providing the power needed for repair.
Green Light Therapy: This therapy works through a different, fascinating mechanism to primarily target the "fire" of inflammation and pain. Groundbreaking research has shown that exposure to specific wavelengths of green light can significantly reduce pain in conditions like migraine and fibromyalgia. It is believed to work by increasing the body's production of natural pain-killing molecules called enkephalins, which also have powerful anti-inflammatory effects [14]. It's a non-pharmacological way to calm the body's pain and inflammation signals.
NanoVi Therapy: This technology is designed to help repair cellular protein damage caused by oxidative stress, a crucial step in recovering from chronic cellular damage [8].
Exercise with Oxygen Therapy (EWOT): By flooding the body with oxygen, we provide the final, essential ingredient that healthy mitochondria need to create massive amounts of clean energy.
Stop Chasing Symptoms and Start Healing
If you are tired of bouncing between specialists, collecting diagnoses, and managing a list of symptoms, I want you to know that there is another way. The common thread running through your health challenges is likely a breakdown at the cellular level.
By targeting the twin engines of chronic disease—inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction—we can create a profound shift in the body's ability to heal itself. This is the future of medicine, and it's available today, right here in the Twin Cities.
If you're ready to move beyond symptom management and address the root cause of your chronic condition, contact HyperCharge Health to schedule a comprehensive evaluation. Let's work together to put out the fire, restart your engine, and rebuild your health from the ground up.
References
Stephenson, J., et al. (2018). Inflammation in CNS neurodegenerative diseases. Immunology, 154(2), 204–219.
López-Mejías, R., et al. (2016). The role of mitochondria in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. Current Pharmaceutical Design, 22(30), 4647-4655.
Wang, Y., et al. (2017). Mitochondrial dysfunction in osteoarthritis. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, 21(11), 2655–2667.
Widlansky, M. E., & Hill, B. G. (2018). The clinical implications of mitochondrial dysfunction in cardiovascular disease. JAMA Cardiology, 3(12), 1225–1233.
Wang, Y., et al. (2019). The role of mitochondrial dysfunction in inflammatory bowel disease. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 25(3), 450–461.
Ross, C. L., & Harrison, B. S. (2015). Effect of Pulsed Electromagnetic Field on Inflammatory Pathway Markers in RAW 264.7 Murine Macrophages. Journal of Inflammation Research, 8, 177–185.
Vincenzi, F., et al. (2017). Pulsed electromagnetic field exposure reduces hypoxia and inflammation damage in neuron-like and microglial cells. Journal of Cellular Physiology, 232(5), 1200-1208.
Pollen, G. R. (2012). The Influence of an Inhaled Catalyst on the Agility and Reaction Time in Athletes. Townsend Letter: The Examiner of Alternative Medicine.
D'Agostino, L., et al. (2021). The Role of Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Hypertension. Cardiology Research, 12(4), 209-217.
Pickart, L., & Margolina, A. (2018). Regenerative and Protective Actions of the GHK-Cu Peptide in the Light of the New Gene Data. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 19(7), 1987.
Covarrubias-Pinto, A., et al. (2021). The role of NAD+ in the regulation of inflammatory processes. Biomedicines, 9(11), 1572.
Szeto, H. H. (2017). First-in-class cardiolipin-protective compound (SS-31) rescues mitochondrial function in the aged heart. British Journal of Pharmacology, 174(13), 2026–2036.
Lee, C., et al. (2015). The mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c promotes metabolic homeostasis and reduces obesity and insulin resistance. Cell Metabolism, 21(3), 443-454.
Ibrahim, M. M., et al. (2017). Long-lasting antinociceptive effects of green light in acute and chronic pain in rats. Pain, 158(2), 347–360.