Niacin, also known as nicotinic acid or vitamin B3, is a medication that doctors prescribe to help you manage cholesterol levels in your blood. You may take it alone or in combination with one of the statin drugs used for lowering cholesterol levels. According to Drugs.com, niacin lowers blood levels of harmful triglycerides and of LDL or "bad" cholesterol, and it increases levels of HDL or "good" cholesterol.
Increases HDL Cholesterol
Niacin can significantly increase your HDL cholesterol level, and this is an important effect because HDL cholesterol gathers up LDL cholesterol in your blood and takes it back to the liver for permanent removal. You should ideally have an HDL cholesterol blood level higher than 60 mg/dL. Low levels put you at increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Niacin must be administered in high doses to achieve the effect of increasing your HDL cholesterol. These high doses may cause harmful side effects and as such, your doctor needs to monitor your progress while you are on niacin therapy.
Decreases LDL Cholesterol
LDL cholesterol takes the form of both large and small particles. The large particles are not associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis, but the small particles not only facilitate the process of atherosclerosis, but also put you at greater risk of heart attack. Niacin lowers your LDL cholesterol blood level by focusing on the removal of the more harmful small LDL particles rather than the relatively benign large ones. Harvard Health Publications reports that niacin monotherapy can lower LDL by 15 percent and that niacin combined with a statin produces about a 25 percent reduction in LDL blood levels. You should not take niacin to lower LDL cholesterol without first talking to your doctor.
Reduces Triglycerides
Along with LDL and HDL cholesterol, triglycerides are one of the three components of your total cholesterol blood level. Most of the fat stored in your body takes the form of triglycerides, which are a major source of the energy your body needs to function. However, high blood levels of triglycerides increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. Niacin can effectively lower the concentration of triglycerides circulating in your blood. PhysOrg.com summarizes an article in the Oct. 6, 2010, issue of "Cell Metabolism" in which Dr. Jiandie Lin and his colleagues at the University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute explain how niacin works to lower triglyceride levels. Lin notes that niacin blocks a liver process that leads to the production of a protein, apoC3, which inhibits the breakdown of triglycerides. Thus, niacin diminishes blood levels of apoC3, which in turn leads to rapid breakdown and elimination of triglycerides.
