High intake of niacin, essential B vitamin, linked to increased risk of heart disease: Study

Researchers have found that high levels of niacin, an essential B vitamin, could be directly linked with an increased risk of heart disease. The report, published in Nature Medicine, reveals that increased niacin level leads to high inflammation and damage to blood vessels.

Niacin is a vitamin commonly found in meat, fish, nuts, and fortified cereals and breads.

Researchers found that the excess intake of niacin resulted in the production of a byproduct called 4PY. This metabolite reportedly plays a critical role in heart disease progression.

Since the western diet includes a lot of niacin intake, it was found to have elevated the levels of 4PY in the bloodstream. Elevated levels of 4PY have been directly linked with increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, and other adverse cardiac events.

The scientists say the recommended daily dose of niacin for men is 16 milligrams per day and for women who are not pregnant is 14 milligrams per day. However, they are not yet able to draw a line between healthy and unhealthy levels of consumption of the vitamin.

According to Dr Stanley Hazen, chair of cardiovascular and metabolic sciences at the Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute and co-section head of preventive cardiology at the Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute, almost 25 per cent of Americans today have higher levels of niacin in their bloodstream.

"The average person should avoid niacin supplements now that we have reason to believe that taking too much niacin can potentially lead to an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease,” Hazen was quoted as saying by NBC News.

Hazen and colleagues analysed blood samples from 1,162 patients who wanted to have their heart disease evaluated. They looked for some common markers, factors and signs that contributed to the complicated heart conditions.

Then, two investigations were carried out, each in the US and Europe and it was found that the increased levels of niacin breakdown product, 4PY, led to an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and death.

The experiment was then performed on mice and they too showed similar results when injected with 4PY.