CLEVELAND — A study by Cleveland Clinic researchers has identified another cause of cardiovascular disease. It is a high concentration of niacin, also known as vitamin B-3, which was previously recommended to help lower high cholesterol levels.

The research team said there was a link between 4PY, a breakdown product of excess niacin, and contributing to heart disease. Studies have shown that high levels of circulating 4PY were strongly associated with the development of heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiac events. Furthermore, 4PY was shown to cause vascular inflammation.

The research team said this study could help generate new interventions and treatments to reduce or prevent inflammation.

“What’s interesting about these results is that this pathway, previously unrecognized, appears to contribute significantly to the development of cardiovascular disease,” said Dr. said Dr. Stanley Hazen, director of the Division of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences. “Furthermore, being able to measure it means there is potential for diagnostic tests. These insights set the stage for developing new approaches to counteract the effects of this pathway.”

According to the Cleveland Clinic, niacin is commonly found in the Western diet. In this study alone, one in four subjects in the patient cohort had overdosed and had high levels of 4PY.

“For decades, the United States and more than 50 countries have required staple foods like flour, cereals and oats to be fortified with niacin to prevent diseases related to nutritional deficiencies,” Hazen said. Ta.

According to Harvard University, niacin is also found in red meat, poultry, fish, brown rice, nuts and seeds, legumes, and bananas.

Professor Hazen said the main point of the study was whether flour and grains should be required to be fortified with niacin in the US, and that cutting niacin intake entirely is not realistic. .

Hazen said various forms of niacin are included in over-the-counter supplements, which is likely why it has become popular for anti-aging purposes. He advises people to consult a doctor before taking over-the-counter supplements, avoid carbohydrate intake, and focus on a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.

The Cleveland Clinic said the study may also help explain why niacin is no longer used as a treatment for high cholesterol. Although this was one of the first treatments prescribed to lower cholesterol, it was ultimately found to be less effective than other treatments. The Cleveland Clinic says other studies have also linked it to increased mortality.

“Niacin’s effectiveness has always been somewhat contradictory,” Hazen says. “Although niacin lowers cholesterol, the clinical benefit has always been less than expected based on the degree of LDL reduction. We believe that our findings help explain this discrepancy. It shows why research is so important. We learn much more than we set out to find.”

Click here to learn more about the study.