Niacin, cheap vitamin better than drugs?

November 16, 5:15 PMHouston Holistic Health ExaminerMira Dessy

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AP Photo/Nati Harnik-Doctors may prescribe more niacin due to study

 Sometimes newer isn't better. A study released in the New England Journal of Medicine  shows that a prescription version of niacin works better than a new medication, Zetia. The study was a direct comparison of the use of a statin drug and niacin versus a statin drug and Zetia. Admittedly the type of niacin used in the study is not available over-the-counter; it is a timed-release formula, called Niaspan, which helps cut down on the flush effect that happens when you take higher doses of niacin.

While the Zetia appeared to be effective in reducing LDL, or bad, cholesterol, it did not compare well with niacin which not only reduced LDL, but also boosted HDL, or good, cholesterol. Niacin also performed better when it came to controlling the levels of plaque that can build up on the arterial walls; patients on Zetia had more plaque build up in spite of the reduction of LDL cholesterol. Another negative for Zetia is that it appears to have decreased HDL levels; since this is the type of cholesterol you want in your system that is not a good change.  According to information found on Bloomberg.com, Richard Karas, a professor of medicine at Tufts University medical school, has pointed out that there are studies which indicate that HDL-raising medications could double the benefit of lowering LDL. Also according to Bloomberg, this makes the third negative result in two years for Zetia.

Many doctors may begin to question the use of Zetia and, by extention, Vytorin, which combines Zetia and Simvastatin, and simply return to using niacin.

It is important to note that if you are taking a statin drug you may want to consider supplementing with Co Q-10. Findings available from the FDA indicate that among other things “Statin-induced decreases in CoQ-10 are more than just hypothetical drug-nutrient interactions.  Good evidence exists of significant CoQ-10 depletion in humans and animals during statin therapy” and that “Statin-induced CoQ-10 deficiency can be completely reversed by supplemental CoQ-10.”

For more information:

Niacin 101, what you need to know

FDA - The clinical use of HMG CoA-reductase inhibitors (statins) and the associated
depletion of the essential co-factor coenzyme Qlo; a review of
pertinent human and animal data 

American Heart Association