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A new nationally representative study found hearing impairment and vision impairment to be independently associated with cognitive impairment. After considering sex, age and other socio-demographic characteristics, older adults with hearing impairment had more than double the odds of cognitive impairment, while those with vision impairment had more than triple the odds of cognitive impairment. When an older adult experienced both hearing impairment and vision impairment, the odds of cognitive impairment were eight-fold. Approximately one half of adults aged 65 and older with both hearing and vision impairment also had cognitive impairment. There have been several studies in the past decade...

Duchenne is the most common and severe form of muscular dystrophy. Because of this genetic disease, one out of every 3,500 children spends their 12th birthday in a wheelchair. This disorder progressively leads to general paralysis, and most patients die of respiratory failure. The disease is caused by a genetic mutation that prevents a protein required to keep muscle cells intact from being produced. While most research focuses on repairing the defective gene, researchers at EPFL have come up with a different strategy. As part of their work on nutrition and aging, they discovered that large doses of a vitamin...

In mice genetically predisposed to glaucoma, vitamin B3 added to drinking water is effective at preventing the disease, a research team reports in the journal Science. The vitamin administration was surprisingly effective, eliminating the vast majority of age-related molecular changes and providing a remarkably robust protection against glaucoma. It offers promise for developing inexpensive and safe treatments for glaucoma patients. Conducting a variety of genomic, metabolic, neurobiological and other tests in mice susceptible to inherited glaucoma, compared to control mice, the researchers discovered that NAD, a molecule vital to energy metabolism in neurons and other cells, declines with age. The...

The newest vitamin B3 family member, nicotinamide riboside (NR) has been found to have beneficial effects on mitochondria in the human muscle. Currently, mitochondrial dysfunction cannot be treated. Recent findings encourage further investigation of whether this vitamin B3 form could serve as a potential therapeutic option for mitochondrial dysfunction. In a recent twin study, it was found that nicotinamide riboside (NR) increased the number of mitochondria in the muscle after long-term administration. In addition, NR improved the gut bacterial composition and increased the blood NAD+ concentrations. "Our study demonstrated the beneficial effects of long-term supplementation of NR on NAD+ metabolism,...

For the first time, a researcher has determined that the naturally occurring dietary supplement known as nicotinamide riboside (NR) can enter the brain. The discovery was made by Christopher Martens and Dr. Dimitrios Kapogiannis. The finding is significant because it supports the idea that NR, upon reaching the brain, can alter the metabolism of relevant biological pathways involved in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. Upon consumption, NR is readily converted into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), which is critical to cellular repair and the repair of damaged DNA. "NAD+ is gradually lost as we get older or develop chronic diseases. Loss of...

Roughly one million people die of untreated kidney failure, worldwide, each year. Despite the major personal and economic burden, only a few new approaches have been deployed to treat or cure kidney disease over the last 40 years. Metabolic changes related to an enzyme "helper molecule"—called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)—may serve as the basis for a future treatment or preventive measure for kidney disease, according to a discovery by a new study. Metabolic changes related to NAD may offer a new therapeutic target to improve the course of kidney disease. By mapping metabolite changes in healthy and diseased mouse and...

The over-the-counter supplement nicotinamide riboside, a form of vitamin B3, increased the walking endurance of patients with peripheral artery disease, a chronic leg condition for which there are few effective treatments. In a preliminary, randomized, double-blind clinical trial, patients who took nicotinamide riboside daily for six months increased their timed walking distance by more than 57 feet, compared to participants who took a placebo. As expected, walking speed declined in those who took a placebo, because peripheral artery disease causes progressive declines in walking performance. The scientists recruited 90 people with an average age of 71 who had peripheral artery...

Researchers are behind a new discovery that tells us how associated neurodegenerative diseases might develop. At the center of this discovery stands a molecule called NAD, or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. Nutrients, such as sugar or fat, are converted to a universal form of energy that our cells can use to maintain all energy-demanding functions. "NAD is central to these conversions as it functions like a rechargeable battery. An important part of this energy transfer takes place in cellular structures called mitochondria," Ziegler explains. Crucially, NAD also contributes to many other vital functions throughout the cell. It serves as a chemical...

We live longer and longer, and as we age, a lot of us develop a series of health issues and chronic diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is found in around 600 million individuals globally. However, only half of them know they have the disease. COPD patients often experience shortness of breath, persistent cough with mucus, wheezing and frequent respiratory infections, which can make everyday activities difficult. Now a study suggests that a form of vitamin B3 may be the key to improving quality of life for these patients. "In the study, we show that nicotinamide riboside, also...

While previous studies have linked commercial dietary supplements like nicotinamide riboside (NR), a form of vitamin B3, to benefits related to cardiovascular, metabolic and neurological health, new research has found NR could actually increase the risk of serious disease, including developing cancer. The team led by Elena Goun discovered high levels of NR could not only increase someone's risk of developing triple-negative breast cancer, but also could cause the cancer to metastasize or spread to the brain. Once the cancer reaches the brain, the results are deadly because no viable treatment options exist at this time, said Goun, who is...

A substance naturally occurring in pomegranates, strawberries and walnuts can improve memory and treatment of Alzheimer's disease, a new study concludes. Forgetfulness, difficulty finding words and confusion about time and place. These are some of the most common symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Now researchers have discovered that an ordinary fruit can help. "Our study on mouse models with AD shows that urolithin A can alleviate memory problems and other consequences of dementia," says Vilhelm Bohr. "Even though the study was conducted on mouse models, the prospects are positive. So far, research has shown promising results for the substance in the...

Researchers have identified that a transient inflammatory pain causes mitochondrial and redox changes in sensory neurons that persist beyond pain resolution. These changes appear to predispose to a failure in resolving pain caused by subsequent inflammation. Additionally, targeting the cellular redox balance prevents and treats chronic inflammatory pain in rodents. Pain often persists in patients with an inflammatory disease, even after the inflammation has subsided. For some time, there have been clues that mitochondrial dysfunction may be involved. In a clinical study, approximately 70% of patients with heritable mitochondrial diseases develop chronic pain. To unravel the role of mitochondria in...

Liver cancer is one of the most frequent cancers in the world, and with the worst prognosis...The most aggressive and frequent form of liver cancer is hepato-cellular carcinoma (HCC); little is known about it and there are relatively few treatment options. Researchers from the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), have produced the first mouse model that faithfully reproduces the steps of human HCC development, from the appearance of the first lesions in the liver to the development of metastasis. The results, published in the prestigious journal Cancer Cell, indicate that diets rich in nicotinamide riboside, a derivative of vitamin...

Nicotinamide riboside (NR) is pretty amazing. It has already been shown in several studies to be effective in boosting metabolism.... As mice, like all mammals, age, the regenerative capacity of certain organs (such as the liver and kidneys) and muscles (including the heart) diminishes. Their ability to repair them following an injury is also affected. This leads to many of the disorders typical of aging. Under normal conditions, these stem cells, reacting to signals sent by the body, regenerate damaged organs by producing new specific cells. At least in young bodies. This is why the researchers wanted to "revitalize" stem...

Stem cell-based therapies are becoming increasingly common, especially in the treatment of blood cancers like lymphoma and leukemia. In these cases, the patient's cancerous blood stem cells are removed and replaced with new, healthy ones. However, up to a quarter of cases end in death because replenishing of blood cells is too slow. Scientists already know that stress causes HSCs to slow down—reconstituting the entire blood-cell supply system can be overwhelming. In terms of biology, this stress causes increased activity in mitochondria, the energy-producing organelles of the cell. To meet the high demands of rebuilding blood cells, the mitochondria of...