For many years, the food industry in the United States has supplemented bread, flour, and corn products with niacin, also referred to as vitamin B3, as a measure to prevent pellagra, an ailment stemming from the deficiency of this nutrient.
The initiative has been notably successful, with pellagra now being virtually eradicated in the country, except among specific demographics experiencing severe food insecurity.
While the prevention of niacin deficiency has been beneficial, a recent study published on February 19 in Nature Medicine indicates a potential drawback associated with excessive niacin consumption—an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease.
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The study focused on examining a metabolic byproduct of surplus niacin called 4PY.
Interestingly, the researchers’ primary objective was not to investigate the link between niacin and cardiovascular disease.
Instead, they sought to understand why individuals, despite receiving treatment for other risk factors like diabetes and high cholesterol, still encountered cardiovascular events.
High Niacin Levels Double Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke
In their preliminary investigation, researchers identified 4PY, also known as niacin or N1-methyl-4-pyridone-3-carboxamide, as a potential indicator in the bloodstream for cardiovascular risk.
Subsequently, they linked this compound to an excess of niacin.
Their findings revealed that individuals with the highest quartile of niacin levels had approximately twice the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks or strokes, compared to those with the lowest quartile.
In simpler terms, as study author Dr. Stanley Hazen, chair of cardiovascular and metabolic sciences at Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute in Ohio, explained to Healthline, “one in four people in our cohorts exhibited elevated levels of 4PY, putting them at significantly heightened risk for adverse cardiovascular events.”
Researchers propose that niacin exacerbates cardiovascular risk by inducing inflammation in the blood vessels, a condition known as vascular inflammation.