An Old Cholesterol Remedy Is New Again

NY Times ^ | January 23, 2007 | MICHAEL MASON

[neverdem]

Perhaps you heard it? The wail last month from the labs of heart researchers and the offices of Wall Street analysts?

Pfizer Inc., the pharmaceutical giant, halted late-stage trials of a cholesterol drug called torcetrapib after investigators discovered that it increased heart problems — and death rates — in the test population.

Torcetrapib wasn’t just another scientific misfire; the drug was to have been a blockbuster heralding the transformation of cardiovascular care. Statin drugs like simvastatin (sold as Zocor) and atorvastatin (Lipitor) lower blood levels of LDL, the so-called bad cholesterol, thereby slowing the buildup of plaque in the arteries.

But torcetrapib worked primarily by increasing HDL, or good cholesterol. Among other functions, HDL carries dangerous forms of cholesterol from artery walls to the liver for excretion. The process, called reverse cholesterol transport, is thought to be crucial to preventing clogged arteries.

Many scientists still believe that a statin combined with a drug that raises HDL would mark a significant advance in the treatment of heart disease. But for patients now at high risk of heart attack or stroke, the news is better than it sounds. An effective HDL booster already exists.

It is niacin, the ordinary B vitamin.

In its therapeutic form, nicotinic acid, niacin can increase HDL as much as 35 percent when taken in high doses, usually about 2,000 milligrams per day. It also lowers LDL, though not as sharply as statins do, and it has been shown to reduce serum levels of artery-clogging triglycerides as much as 50 percent. Its principal side effect is an irritating flush caused by the vitamin’s dilation of blood vessels.

Despite its effectiveness, niacin has been the ugly duckling of heart medications, an old remedy that few scientists cared to examine. But that seems likely to change.

“There’s a great unfilled...”

[therut]

That is the problem with Niacin. Most patients will stop taking it. I know. Very few of my patients will take it for very long.

[varina davis]

mark

[alicewonders]

I completely agree with you. Also, Americans do not eat enough foods with fiber. The less a food is processed, the healthier it is for us. I've always heard - when you go to the supermarket - to buy foods from around the outside perimeter of the store - produce, dairy, eggs, meat. It is the least refined food. Stay away from most of the foods in the center of the store - way too much refined sugar, flour & salt.

[fso301]

I've took niacin as a supplement a few years ago, and it caused my face to flush and I felt feverish for an hour or so

Sounds like a typical response to niacin.

[metmom]

I'm pretty familiar with allergic reactions, having allergies of my own, but the flushing alone does not really sound like one. It's a common side effect of niacin and probably some people are more sensitive than others.

Besides, if you have an allergic reaction to something severe enough to land you in the ER, then it's very likely that you could not tolerate ANY of it at all. It would have eventually sent you into anaphylactic shock. Allergies that severe usually tend to only get worse with each exposure.

You ought to get a list of ingredients to the medication and see if you can determine what it was that caused the problem. Don't forget to investigate dyes and colors. My oldest daughter is severely allergic to carmine and Red Lake 7, the dye in pink Benadryl. We have to use the dye-free for her.

[metmom]

There's a book called The Zone, which is a lower carb diet and the author goes into detail about why that all happens.

[Welsh Rabbit]

Most patients will stop taking it. I know. Very few of my patients will take it for very long.

I was never advised to take niacin from a physician. I took it once years ago, when I was a running and fitness freak and subscribed to all the fad supplements that were currently in vogue. Recently though, since my doctor told me my LDL cholesterol was bad, I've just been balancing my diet to include a lot more vegetables and legumes, and a lot less meat and cheese (which was the cornerstone of my previous diet). Mainly though, I've been preparing a lot of simple meals at home, instead of eating out all the time. I guess I'll see if it's made a difference at my next physical in a couple of months. So far, I've lost 20 pounds since I've changed my eating habits.

[grey_whiskers]

Sound of grey_whiskers purring :-)

[neverdem]

Because, since that event I get pretty red from eating foodstuffs containing niacin.

This a necessary vitamin for normal biochemistry and physiology. I'd see an allergist. Pellagra

[philetus]

If that's the cure, I think I'd rather have the problem."

Your funeral

[Welsh Rabbit]

Sounds like a typical response to niacin.

From all the responses I've gotten on this this thread, I see I most likely didn't have an allergic reaction, but a normal response to the vitamin. It's just a bit off putting because there are not many supplements that have that kind of reaction to the normal person.

[jerry639]

I take 800mcg of niacin a day and it doesn't cause any reaction. They put me on Zorcor once and all my hair fell out for about 3 months. Some people just can't take it.

[GailA]

Get the flush free time release type and be sure to take it with a meal. My boyfriend's doc put him on it. You might also want to up your oatmeal intake and look at the Cholestoff that is being advertized by one of the vitamin companies.

[GailA]

PS, don't take it when you've eaten greasy foods, it makes the flushing worse.

[Drawsing]

I lowered my cholesterol 30 points and raised my HDL through the following diet: This is based on talking to people and internet research. It has worked for me. I lost 20 lbs. and lowered my cholesterol so that my doctor said I did not need any drugs.

Breakfast:
Big bowl of oatmeal with dried fruit and slivered almonds
One egg and two pieces of toast with Smart Balance margarine: no jelly or maybe some all-fruit preserves.

Lunch:
Some substantial protein…soup, sandwich and some fruit. Maybe a salad. No dessert.

Supper:
Good big supper with a meat entrée, salad and fruit. Maybe a roll or cornbread. No dessert

Before bed:
Psyllium dissolved in a cold glass of water. Two teaspoons…this is a proven Cholesterol reducer.

Weekends: I loosen up a little and allow myself a dessert or two, or pancakes for breakfast.

Things to avoid:
- Sweets and desserts between meals. I hardly ever eat the treats people bring to work.
- Bedtime snacks. I avoid this by brushing my teeth and going through my bedtime routine when the snack urge hits me.

Exercise:
I jog for around 20 minutes, three times a week.

[WashingtonSource]

Great news. It's about time the DBM gave us stories like this.

[GoldCountryRedneck]

The flaxseed oil in caps mostly goes right straight through...

Although I take any supplement tablet with a meal, I've often wondered about the absorbson efficiency.

I'll go for the liquid the next time I refill...

Now, about cottage cheese....(*shudder*). Maybe I can mix it with my yogurt cup instead ... :)

[WesternPacific]

Try buying Flaxseed Oil in liquid form then take 3 tablespoons in cottage cheese a day.

Cottage cheese, yuk! What else can Flaxseed oil be put into that would give the same benefit?

[diamond6]

If you take it at night, does it impair sleep at all?

[diamond6]

Wasn't there a lady (I forget her name) that was big on promoting cottage cheese and flax seed oil several years ago?