So, it seems they're at it again. The NIH has stopped a cholesterol lowering trial 18 months early when the researchers didn't get the results they were after.
Some previous smaller studies had hinted that niacin (Vit B3) may be effective in preventing heart attacks or strokes, however this group has made no such findings. They found that prescribing high dose extended release niacin with statins doesn't reduce the risk of... well anything.
Niacin is currently taken to reduce LDL- and increase HDL- cholesterols.
In the now-halted trial, 3,414 people took simvastatin (Zocor), and some also took a second cholesterol-lowering drug, ezetimibe (Zetia), to ensure that LDL levels remained low. About half of the participants also received a high daily dose of extended-release niacin.
The guys in the niacin group did increase their HDL-cholesterol levels but it seems that didn't stop them having the same risk of a heart attack. It seems that a few more people in the niacin group had ischemic strokes than the non-niacin groups. They also lowered their LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides and increased their HDL but this doesn't seem to have had an impact on them getting heart attacks, strokes or acute coronary syndrome.
The take home message as I see it? This stuff doesn't make a bit of difference to your risk of having CVD.
But what if I want to decrease my risk of CVD for the future? Stress less, eat a paleo diet, take your fish oil, lift heavy things often.
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