Dietary Niacin intake may reduce all cause and cardiac mortality in chronic kidney disease: Study
A recent study published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition found that dietary intake of niacin is associated with a reduction in all-cause and cardiac mortality in chronic kidney disease patients.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global health concern with increased morbidity and mortality. Reducing the disease burden and the risk of the disease is essential to increase the quality of life of individuals. Nutrition plays a vital role in promoting the health of the affected individuals. Niacin (vitamin B3) is a precursor for the synthesis of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). These are necessary for mitigating oxidative stress, inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction. Niacin works by attenuating systemic inflammation and lowering the risk of cardiovascular events by inhibiting the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
By obtaining data from the 2003–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) the researchers conducted a cohort study. The study included about 6,110 patients with CKD who are 18 years or older. The hazard ratios for all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality were estimated using Weighted Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic splines (RCS). Based on the variety and the quantity of food consumed, Niacin intake was estimated using the 24-hour dietary recall method. National Death Index (NDI) mortality data (as of 31 December 2018) was used to determine All-cause and cardiac mortality rates.
Findings:
- The median niacin intake was 20.89 mg/day, with an interquartile range of 15.67–27.99 mg/day.
- Over a median follow-up of 87 months, there were 1,984 all-cause deaths, including 714 CVD deaths attributed to cardiovascular deaths.
- Compared with low niacin intake, dietary intake of 22 mg or more was associated with a multivariate-adjusted hazard ratio of 0.71 (95% CI, 0.57–0.88) for all-cause mortality and 0.75 (95% CI, 0.57, 0.98) for CVD mortality.
The present study is the first large-scale prospective cohort study to explore the association between dietary niacin intake and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with CKD. The study concluded that higher dietary niacin intake was associated with lower all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality in CKD. Researchers suggested further studies that explore the dose-response relationship between dietary nicotinate intake and reduced all-cause and CVD mortality in CKD.
Further reading: Dietary niacin intake and mortality among chronic kidney disease patients. Front. Nutr. Doi:10.3389/fnut.2024.1435297.
