Niacin is involved in the metabolism or carbohydrates, fats and proteins, but at high dosage it can increase HDL more than a third and reduce levels of “artery-clogging” triglycerides by half.
Graeme Semple of Arena Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, reports how new drugs that raise high-density lipoproteins, so-called good cholesterol might be developed by following the lead of familiar B vitamin, niacin.
Researchers at Arena and elsewhere are trying to develop new drugs that are even more effective than niacin and so could have greater potential to protect at-risk people against heart attacks and stroke. Semple discusses the latest developments at the ACS annual meeting today.
You can read more about the biochemistry of niacin and LDL cholesterol in Sciencebase.
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