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The Effects of Niacin on Good Cholesterol

Feb 12, 2011 | By Tracey Roizman, D.C.
The Effects of Niacin on Good Cholesterol
Photo Credit Liquidlibrary/liquidlibrary/Getty Images

Niacin, also known as vitamin B3, nicotinic acid and niacinamide, is one of eight B complex vitamins. Collectively, the B complex family is important in the conversion of food to fuel and for supporting efficient nerve function. Niacin has additional functions in the formation of certain hormones and in maintaining a healthy circulatory system. While niacin deficiency is rare, supplementation has been shown, through scientific research, to lower bad cholesterol levels and raise good cholesterol levels.

Similar to Fenofibrate

Niacin showed the ability to increase levels of HDL, the so-called good cholesterol, similar to the cholesterol drug fenofibrate, as noted in a study published in the November 2010 "Atherosclerosis" journal. In the study, Participants with levels of high-density lipoproteins, or HDL, below 45 mg/dL, short for milligrams per deciliter, took either 1,500 mg of niacin or 160 mg of fenofibrate per day for 16 weeks. The niacin group showed a 20 percent reduction in HDL cholesterol, while the fenofibrate group experienced a 24 percent reduction. Triglycerides were reduced by 48 and 53 percent, respectively. Niacin more effectively lowered LDL short for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, the so-called "bad cholesterol," and C-reactive protein--a marker for inflammation. However, niacin caused more adverse reactions, such as skin flushing and itching, than did fenofibrate, and also worsened blood sugar control, say the researchers.

Reverse Cholesterol Transport

Niacin may have cardioprotective benefits for diabetics by improving reverse cholesterol transport--a process that removes LDL cholesterol from the blood and transports it to the liver--according to a study published in the February 2011 "Metabolism" journal. In the study, niacin decreased levels of a type of HDL cholesterol, known as preβ-1 HDL, that is involved in the reverse cholesterol transport. The researchers noted that this process, which is defective in diabetics, may be due to a fault in the production of preβ-1 HDL that is remedied by niacin. The decreased levels of preβ-1 HDL observed in the study may be due to other, yet to be discovered, faulty components in the reverse cholesterol transport process.

Increase HDL Cholesterol

A study published in the August 2009 "Current Opinions in "Lipidology" journal reported that niacin increases HDL levels and reduces risk of coronary heart disease and that these risk-reducing benefits occur regardless of LDL levels. Niacin is also one of the most effective methods for reducing LDL levels, say the researchers, and its anti-inflammatory benefits give it multifactorial cardiovascular benefits. Additionally, new information on a niacin receptor has shed light on the precise mechanisms for niacin's cholesterol-lowering activity. The authors await results of clinical trials before recommending niacin as routine treatment for atherosclerosis prevention.

Combination Therapy

Combination therapy of niacin with the cholesterol-lowering drug atorvastatin produced elevated HDL levels, reduced total cholesterol levels and reduced LDL levels, according to a study published in the May 2008 "Indian Heart Journal." Volunteers in the study took increasing doses of niacin up to a maximum of 1.5 grams per day, along with atorvastatin for nine months. Triglyceride levels were not affected by niacin supplementation. Complications of niacin included gastrointestinal complaints and worsening of diabetes in some of the participants. The researchers concluded that the combination therapy was more effective than either niacin or atorvastatin alone.

References

Article reviewed by demand12324 Last updated on: Feb 12, 2011

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