While there’s no shortage of vitamins that support cardiovascular health, one vitamin may be causing cardiovascular events. One 2024 study published in Nature Medicine examined the prevalence of niacin in stable cardiac patients. This prospective cohort study of 1,162 patients suggests that niacin metabolism is associated with an increase in major adverse cardiovascular events. Increased serum concentration of niacin was found to have an association with MACE risk for up to the years. The study suggests that the mechanism behind this increased risk is excessive inflammation.1
The NIH (National Institutes of Health)-funded study’s lead author, Dr. Stanley Hazen at the Cleveland Clinic, told NIH Research Matters in March 2024 that niacin’s effects are paradoxical. While niacin lowers LDL cholesterol, the clinical benefits of niacin “have always been less than anticipated” given the amount of LDL reduction. Hazen says this phenomenon has led to the notion that excess niacin caused unclear adverse effects; he says his team’s findings help to explain the niacin paradox.
Reference:
1 Ferrell M et al. “A terminal metabolite of niacin promotes vascular inflammation and contributes to cardiovascular disease risk.” Nature Medicine, vol. 30 (2024): 424-434.
