with peripheral artery disease who took nicotinamide riboside for 12 weeks showed a significant increase in the distance they were able to walk before experiencing leg pain. This is a promising finding for the treatment of peripheral artery disease, as current options are limited. The study suggests that nicotinamide riboside could be a beneficial supplement for improving walking endurance in patients with this condition. Further research is needed to confirm these results and to explore the potential long-term benefits of nicotinamide riboside for peripheral artery disease patients.
Participants who took nicotinamide riboside daily for six months saw an increase of over 57 feet in their timed walking distance, in comparison to those who took a placebo. It was expected that walking speed would decrease in the placebo group, as peripheral artery disease leads to a gradual decline in walking ability. Christiaan Leeuwenburgh, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Florida, stated that these results indicate that nicotinamide riboside could potentially benefit these patients. He also mentioned plans for a larger follow-up trial to confirm these findings. Leeuwenburgh specializes in anti-aging research.Researchers, including Mary M. McDermott, M.D., a physician and professor of medicine at Northwestern University who specializes in peripheral artery disease, conducted a study on treatments for the disease. The study, which was published in the journal Nature Communications on June 13, involved a team of collaborators. The team recruited 90 participants with an average age of 71 who had peripheral artery disease (PAD) to investigate the effects of nicotinamide riboside, a supplement that has gained popularity as an anti-aging treatment. Despite its increasing popularity, there has been limited evidence of its benefits in healthy individuals. Sales of the supplement in the U.S. alone exceeded $60 million in 2022.Nicotinamide riboside is an important precursor for NAD, a compound that has various functions in the body such as energy production, enhanced blood flow, and DNA repair.
Due to the association of PAD with difficulties in producing energy in muscle cells, McDermott and Leeuwenburgh hypothesized that nicotinamide riboside could potentially improve walking in individuals with the disease by enhancing energy production.
Their study found that participants who took the supplement walked an average of 23 feet more in a six-minute walking test after six months, while those who took a placebo walked 34 feet less. It was also noted that those who took at least 75% of the pills made significant improvements.The individuals who were expected to take nicotinamide riboside performed even better, increasing their walking distance by more than 100 feet compared to those who took a placebo.
(The researchers also conducted tests to see if resveratrol, a compound commonly found in red wine, could enhance the effects of nicotinamide riboside; they found no additional benefits.)
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) affects over 8.5 million Americans over the age of 40. The disease is caused by the accumulation of fatty deposits in the arteries and is linked to diabetes and smoking. It leads to reduced blood flow to the limbs, particularly the legs. Walking often becomes painful, and the disease typically causThe ability to walk declines as people age. The main treatment for Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) is supervised walking exercise, but many people with PAD do not have access to this type of exercise. In addition to a larger trial for PAD patients, Leeuwenburgh wants to study the effects of nicotinamide riboside on walking performance in healthy older adults. He believes it is important to test it on healthy older individuals before recommending it for general use.
