Heart Risks of Taking Vitamins Previously Recommended to Lower Cholesterol

Niacin (niacin) is a B vitamin that the body uses to convert food into energy. Most people get enough niacin from the foods they eat, as it is found in milk, cereals, eggs, rice, fish, lean meats, or legumes, for example.

For a time, it was commonly prescribed to lower bad cholesterol levels. However, the side effects may outweigh the benefits for many people.

So, in addition to the fact that niacin can cause stomach upset and, in high doses, increase the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes, liver damage, etc., new research links niacin to the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Specifically, a team of Cleveland Clinic researchers led by Stanley Hazen, chief of the Division of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute and chief of preventive cardiology at the Heart, Vascular and Chest Institute, found a connection between breakdown product of excess niacin, 4PY, and cardiovascular disease after confirming that higher levels of 4PY are associated strongly with the development of heart attacks, strokes and other adverse cardiac events in large clinical trials.

Researchers have also shown in preclinical studies that 4PY directly causes vascular inflammation, which damages blood vessels and can lead to atherosclerosis over time.

The results of this study, published in the scientific journal Nature Medicine, provide the basis for possible new interventions and treatments to reduce or prevent vascular inflammation.

“What’s interesting about these results is that this pathway appears to make a significant contribution to the development of cardiovascular disease,” Dr. Hazen said in a statement.

“What’s more, we can measure it, which means there is potential for diagnostic testing. “This knowledge lays the foundation for the development of new approaches that counteract the effects of this pathway,” he adds.

Niacin (vitamin B-3) is very common in the Western diet. “For decades, the United States and more than 50 countries have required niacin fortification of staple foods such as flour, grains and oats to prevent diseases associated with nutritional deficiencies,” recalls Dr. Hazen.

However, one in four subjects in the patient cohort the researchers analyzed consumed too much and had high levels of 4PY, which appears to contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Hazen compares consuming niacin to drinking several taps of water into a basin. As soon as this pool is filled, it begins to overflow. The human body then needs to process this excess and produce other metabolites, including 4PY.

However, the product has become popular in recent years for its supposed anti-aging properties, says the expert, who insists patients should consult their doctors before taking over-the-counter supplements as diet is key. Rich in fruits and vegetables, avoiding excess carbohydrates.

The new findings may also help explain why niacin is already This is not the method of choice for lowering cholesterol. Niacin was one of the first treatments prescribed to lower LDL, or “bad” cholesterol. However, niacin was ultimately less effective than other cholesterol-lowering drugs and was associated with other negative effects and higher mortality rates in previous studies.

“Although niacin lowers cholesterol, the clinical benefit has always been less than expected based on the degree of LDL reduction. This has led to the idea that excess niacin causes obscure side effects that partially offset the LDL-lowering benefits. We believe that our results will help explain this paradox. “This illustrates why it is so important to study residual cardiovascular risk,” says Dr. Hazen.