Researchers have identified a potential new treatment for peripheral artery disease (PAD), a condition that causes chronic leg pain and affects millions of people worldwide.
In a study of patients with PAD, the supplement nicotinamide riboside — a form of vitamin B3 — was found to improve walking endurance.
Scientists from Northwestern University and the University of Florida led the preliminary study, which used a double-blind clinical trial design. In this type of trial, neither the participants nor the researchers know who receives the treatment or a placebo, helping ensure unbiased results.
The trial included 90 participants with an average age of 71, all diagnosed with PAD. Over six months, those who took nicotinamide riboside daily were able to walk more than 57 feet farther than participants who received a placebo.
PAD gradually reduces the ability to walk and often causes pain due to restricted blood flow to the legs. The condition affects more than 8.5 million Americans aged 40 and older and is caused by the buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries.
Standard treatments typically include supervised exercise therapy, especially walking programs, but many patients lack access to these services.
Christiaan Leeuwenburgh, Ph.D., professor of physiology and aging at the University of Florida and senior author of the study, said the findings are encouraging.
“This is a signal that nicotinamide riboside could help these patients,” Leeuwenburgh noted, while emphasizing the need for larger trials to confirm the results.
Nicotinamide riboside has gained popularity as an anti-aging supplement, with U.S. sales exceeding $60 million in 2022. It is a precursor to NAD, a molecule essential for energy production, blood flow, and DNA repair.
Because PAD is associated with impaired energy production in muscle cells, boosting NAD levels through supplementation may help improve muscle function and endurance.
During the trial, participants taking the supplement increased their walking distance by an average of 23 feet in a six-minute walking test after six months, while those receiving the placebo experienced a decrease of 34 feet.
The improvement was even greater among participants who took at least 75% of their prescribed doses, with some increasing their walking distance by more than 100 feet.
Researchers also examined whether combining nicotinamide riboside with resveratrol — a compound found in red wine — would enhance the effect. However, the combination did not produce additional benefits.
The research team, including Mary M. McDermott, M.D., a Northwestern University physician specializing in PAD, plans to conduct larger trials to confirm the supplement’s effectiveness and assess its safety in both patients and healthy older adults.
The findings offer hope for people living with PAD and suggest that nicotinamide riboside may have broader potential for improving physical function and quality of life in older populations.
The study was published in Nature Communications.
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