Millions of people around the world live with a painful condition called peripheral artery disease, also known as PAD. This disease affects blood flow to the legs and can make simple activities like walking difficult and exhausting.
Now, a new study from scientists at Northwestern University and the University of Florida suggests that a popular vitamin supplement may help people with PAD walk farther and feel less pain.
Peripheral artery disease happens when fatty deposits build up inside the arteries. Over time, these fatty materials narrow the blood vessels and reduce blood flow.
When this occurs in the arteries leading to the legs, the muscles do not receive enough oxygen-rich blood during physical activity. As a result, many people with PAD experience cramping, pain, weakness, and tiredness in their legs, especially while walking.
For some people, the discomfort becomes so severe that they can only walk short distances before needing to stop and rest.
Everyday activities such as shopping, climbing stairs, or walking around the neighborhood may become difficult. In serious cases, poor blood flow can lead to wounds that heal slowly or even tissue damage.
PAD is especially common among older adults. In the United States alone, more than 8.5 million adults over the age of 40 are estimated to have the condition. Smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and aging all increase the risk of developing PAD.
Because the disease becomes more common with age, doctors and researchers are searching for better ways to help older adults stay active and independent.
One treatment doctors often recommend is supervised exercise therapy. In these programs, patients walk regularly under medical supervision to improve circulation and strengthen their leg muscles.
Research has shown that walking exercise can help reduce symptoms over time. However, many people do not have easy access to these programs because they can be expensive, time-consuming, or unavailable in certain areas.
This is why scientists are interested in finding other treatments that are easier to use. In the new study, researchers tested whether a supplement called nicotinamide riboside could help improve walking ability in people with PAD.
Nicotinamide riboside is a form of vitamin B3. In recent years, it has become popular as an anti-aging supplement because scientists believe it may support healthy cell function and energy production. Sales of the supplement have grown rapidly, with Americans spending around $60 million on it in 2022 alone.
The researchers enrolled 90 people with PAD in the study. Most participants were around 71 years old. The volunteers were randomly divided into groups. Some received nicotinamide riboside pills, while others received placebo pills that contained no active ingredient.
Neither the participants nor the scientists knew who was taking the real supplement during the study. This type of research design, called a double-blind study, helps reduce bias and makes the results more reliable.
Participants took the pills every day for six months. At the end of the study, the researchers measured how far each person could walk.
The results were encouraging. On average, people who took nicotinamide riboside could walk 57 feet farther than those who took the placebo. During a six-minute walking test, the supplement group improved their walking distance by 23 feet. In comparison, the placebo group actually walked 34 feet less than before the study.
The results were even stronger among participants who regularly took their supplements as directed. People who took at least 75% of their pills improved their walking distance by more than 100 feet.
Scientists believe the supplement may work by increasing levels of a natural substance in the body called NAD. NAD plays a very important role in producing energy inside cells and helping cells repair damage.
In people with PAD, leg muscles may have trouble producing enough energy because of poor blood flow. By increasing NAD levels, nicotinamide riboside may help muscles work more efficiently.
The research team also tested whether combining nicotinamide riboside with another popular health compound called resveratrol could provide even greater benefits.
Resveratrol is found naturally in foods like grapes and red wine and has often been linked to healthy aging. However, the researchers found that adding resveratrol did not improve the results further.
Professor Christiaan Leeuwenburgh from the University of Florida, one of the leaders of the study, said the findings are an important sign that nicotinamide riboside could become a useful treatment for people with PAD.
However, he also stressed that larger studies are still needed to confirm the results and fully understand the supplement’s long-term safety.
Dr. Mary McDermott, a PAD specialist from Northwestern University who also worked on the study, said the research team hopes to continue studying the supplement in larger groups of people.
They are also interested in seeing whether nicotinamide riboside could help healthy older adults stay physically active and independent as they age.
Although more research is needed before doctors can officially recommend the supplement for PAD treatment, the findings give new hope to many older adults struggling with pain and mobility problems.
The study also adds to growing interest in how vitamins and supplements might support healthy aging and improve quality of life.
The research suggests that something as simple as supporting the body’s energy systems may help people move more easily and stay active longer. For millions living with PAD, that possibility could make a major difference in everyday life.
If you care about pain, please read studies about how to manage gout with a low-purine diet, and a guide to eating right for arthritis.
For more health information, please see recent studies about the link between processed foods and chronic diseases, and avoid these 8 foods to ease arthritis pain.
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