Niacin Therapy

Previous reports have shown that niacin in high doses raises blood glucose, but new evidence shows niacin therapy was well tolerated and resulted in minimal changes in glycemic control, said Scott M. Grundy, MD, PhD (director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas), and the lead author of a new study, the results of which were published in the July 2002 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The study found that ?good? (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol increased by between 13% and 24%, depending on the strength of the dose, and that levels of ?bad? (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol fell. ?This targeted approach may represent the best treatment strategy for achieving substantial reductions in the high and growing incidence of [heart disease] among patients with diabetes,? the authors concluded.