Niacin doesn't boost good cholesterol

Popping a vitamin pill cannot stop heart problems. This is the finding of a four-long study aimed at evaluating the ability of a type of vitamin B-called Niacin-to increase the body's reserves of good cholesterol. The logic was that Niacin would reduce the bad cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol) and help boost the good cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein or HDL). But a research presented at the American College of Cardiology's 62nd Annual Scientific Session last week said that the Heart Protection Study found Niacin is, in fact, harmful to patients.

Experts believe that high levels of LDL can trigger heart attacks and strokes. The Heart Protection was studying whether the 25,000-odd patients with heart problems could benefit with Niacin. Niacin in itself triggers flushing among patients. The study hence combined Niacin with larpiprant (an anti-flusing agent) for patients. Unexpectedly, it found significant cases of excessive bleeding and infections among patients who were given this combination drug as against the control group (which wasn't given the combo drug). Significantly higher numbers of patients receiving the study drug suffered serious known side-effects including new onset diabetes (9.1 vs. 7.3 %), diabetic complications (11.1 vs. 7.5 %), gastrointestinal problems such as indigestion and diarrhea (4.8 vs. 3.8 %), and skin issues including itching and rashes (0.7 vs. 0.4 %).

"We are disappointed that these results did not show benefits for our patients," said the study's lead author Jane Armitage, who is a professor at the University of Oxford. She told the meeting that "Still, finding out a drug is not helping people is just as important as finding that it has benefits—the net result is that people are healthier. Niacin has been used for many years in the belief that it would help patients and prevent heart attacks and stroke, but we now know that its adverse side effects outweigh the benefits when used with current treatments."

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