Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a serious condition that affects the blood vessels in the legs, making it difficult and painful to walk. PAD is caused by fatty deposits that build up in the arteries, blocking proper blood flow.
It’s common among older adults, especially those over the age of 40, and affects more than 8.5 million people in the United States alone. Many people with PAD experience chronic leg pain and struggle to walk even short distances, which can greatly impact their quality of life.
Scientists have been looking for ways to help those with PAD, and a new study offers some hope. Researchers from Northwestern University and the University of Florida found that a vitamin B3 supplement called nicotinamide riboside might improve the walking ability of people suffering from PAD.
Nicotinamide riboside is a type of vitamin B3 that has gained attention recently as a potential anti-aging supplement. It helps the body increase levels of NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), which is crucial for energy production and blood flow.
In this study, the researchers wanted to see if nicotinamide riboside could help PAD patients walk farther and with less pain.
The study was a double-blind clinical trial, meaning neither the researchers nor the participants knew who was getting the real supplement and who was getting a placebo.
Ninety people took part in the study, all aged 71 on average, and all diagnosed with PAD. Over six months, some of the participants took nicotinamide riboside daily, while others took a placebo.
At the end of the study, the researchers found that those who took the supplement walked an average of 57 feet farther than those who took the placebo.
While this might not sound like much, for people with PAD, even small improvements can make a big difference in their day-to-day lives.
In a six-minute walking test, participants who took the supplement were able to walk 23 feet more on average after six months, while those who took the placebo actually walked 34 feet less.
The researchers were particularly excited to see that people who took at least 75% of their prescribed dosage did even better, adding over 100 feet to their walking distance in the same test. This suggests that sticking to the treatment consistently could lead to even better results.
PAD is commonly treated through supervised exercise programs, where patients are encouraged to walk regularly to improve their leg strength and blood flow.
However, not everyone has access to these programs, and the pain caused by PAD can make it difficult to stay active. Nicotinamide riboside offers a potential new option for those who can’t participate in exercise programs or who need additional support to improve their mobility.
The study also tested whether adding another supplement, resveratrol (found in red wine), would enhance the effects of nicotinamide riboside. Unfortunately, combining the two didn’t lead to any extra benefits, so the focus remains on nicotinamide riboside alone.
Christiaan Leeuwenburgh, a professor at the University of Florida and the senior author of the study, is optimistic about the results.
He hopes to see larger trials conducted to confirm these findings and explore whether the supplement could be used to help even more people with PAD.
The researchers also plan to test nicotinamide riboside in healthy older adults to see if it can safely improve their physical performance as well.
While this study is still in the early stages, it offers hope to those suffering from PAD. The researchers are careful to point out that more studies are needed to fully understand how effective and safe nicotinamide riboside is, but the initial results are promising.
Nicotinamide riboside has already become popular as an anti-aging supplement in the U.S., with sales reaching $60 million in 2022. By boosting NAD levels in the body, it helps support energy production, better blood flow, and the repair of DNA.
For people with PAD, whose muscle cells have trouble producing enough energy, this supplement could be a game-changer.
The research findings were published in Nature Communications, and the researchers hope their work will lead to new treatments for those with PAD, improving their mobility and quality of life.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about how eating eggs can help reduce heart disease risk, and Vitamin K2 could help reduce heart disease risk.
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies about how to remove plaques that cause heart attacks, and results showing a new way to prevent heart attacks, strokes.
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