Niacin, a common B vitamin once recommended to patients as a way to help lower cholesterol, has been linked to cardiovascular disease, Cleveland Clinic researchers announced Feb. 19.
Though it is needed in small amounts, too much niacin can cause an increase in levels of 4PY, which is a compound found to be associated with heart disease, the researchers found. The study, published Feb. 19 in Nature Medicine, also revealed a link between high levels of 4PY and inflammation.
"The main takeaway is not that we should cut out our entire intake of niacin – that’s not a realistic approach," Stanley Hazen, MD, PhD, director of Cleveland Clinic's Center for Cardiovascular Diagnostics & Prevention and lead author of the study said. "Given these findings, a discussion over whether a continued mandate of flour and cereal fortification with niacin in the U.S. could be warranted."