Niacin

MONDAY, Dec. 23, 2024 -- Coffee provides a quick morning boost, but it might also protect the brain health of people with a common heart rhythm disorder . A study published recently in the Journal of the American Heart Association shows patients with atrial fibrillation who drank more than five cups of coffee a day performed better on an array of cognitive tests than those who drank little to no coffee. In fact, the brains of heavy coffee drinkers were nearly seven years younger in cognitive age compared to coffee teetotalers. “Many myths are around, but our study found no reason to discourage or forbid a patient with A-Fib from drinking coffee. Instead, say, ‘Enjoy, it may even be good for you!’” senior researcher Dr. Jürg Beer , a professor of medicine and hematology at the University of Zürich in Switzerland, said in an American Heart Association (AHA) news release. Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm disorder in adults, affecting more than 5 million people in the United States, according to the AHA. A-Fib occurs when the upper chambers of the heart -- the atria -- begin beating in a quivering and uncoordinated way. This allows blood to pool in the atria and potentially clot. A-Fib increases a person’s risk of stroke fivefold, as a blood clot can travel from the atria and block blood flow to the brain, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Current American Heart Association guidelines say that abstaining from caffeine doesn’t benefit people with A-Fib, unless patients report that caffeine triggers or worsens their symptoms, researchers noted. Symptoms can include rapid heartbeat, dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breath and chest pain. “It is known that regular coffee consumption benefits cognitive performance among healthy people. The most frequent cardiac arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, is known to independently increase the risk of dementia,” said lead researcher Dr. Massimo Barbagallo , a resident in the neuro intensive care unit at the University Hospital Zürich. “Thus, the question is whether coffee might offset the increased risk of cognitive impairment in people with A-Fib,” Barbagallo said. For the study, researchers recruited more than 2,400 people in Switzerland diagnosed with atrial fibrillation between 2014 and 2017. Participants completed several brain tests and reported how many cups of caffeinated coffee they drank during the last 12 months. Results showed that the more coffee a person drank, the better they performed on cognitive tests. “There was a very clear and consistent ‘dose-response’ association between drinking more coffee and doing better on several different sophisticated cognitive tests,” Beer said. Specifically, their scores were about 11% higher than people who drank little to no coffee, researchers found. Coffee also appeared to lower inflammation in A-Fib patients. Inflammatory markers were more than 20% lower in people drinking five cups daily than those drinking less than one cup a day. “Inflammatory markers decreased with higher coffee consumption, an association that remained after considering variables such as age, sex, body mass index, smoking status, physical activity and a history of stroke,” Beer said. It’s not quite clear why coffee might help brain health, researchers said. It could be due to caffeine or other active ingredients in coffee, like magnesium and niacin, or it might be due to coffee’s anti-inflammatory effects. However, an outside expert warns that this observational study cannot prove a direct link between heavy coffee drinking and better brain aging, particularly in people with A-Fib. “Other studies have shown coffee has cognitive-enhancing functions across the board. This, however, is not specific to the A-Fib population. We cannot conclude that coffee prevents long-term cognitive decline,” said Dr. Jose Joglar , a professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. “Coffee does not seem to worsen A-Fib so there is no need to stop drinking it,” Joglar continued. “However, we cannot say starting to drink coffee would prevent A-Fib or prevent long-term cognitive decline.” Researchers also noted that the study measured brain health and coffee consumption at the same point in time, so it could not track the long-term effect of coffee on brain aging over time. “To detect a relevant cognitive decline, a follow-up of at least 5 to 10 years is required,” Barbagallo said. “However, the nutritive habits including coffee consumption reported by participants reflect exposure over many years and we likely see here the results of this.” Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.

FRIDAY, Nov. 22, 2024 -- A daily dose of vitamin B3 reduced inflammation in the lungs of patients with COPD , Danish researchers report. "This is significant, because inflammation can lead to reduced lung function in these patients," said researcher Morten Scheibye-Knudsen , of the University of Copenhagen. Patients with COPD -- the full name of which is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease -- are more likely to get pneumonia, influenza and other serious respiratory infections, which can be fatal. The new study included 40 participants with COPD and a control group of 20 healthy volunteers. They received either 2 grams a day of nicotinamide riboside -- a member of the vitamin B3 family -- or a placebo. After six weeks, researchers saw a 53% drop in a marker of inflammation known as interleukin 8, or IL 8. After 12 more weeks of vitamin therapy, the effect increased by 63%. "In other words," the researchers said in a university news release, "The group treated with vitamin B3 experienced reduced lung inflammation during the study." More study will be needed to confirm the findings and determine the long-term effect of nicotinamid riboside in treating COPD, Scheibye-Knudsen said. During the study, the team also observed that COPD patients have lower blood levels of a chemical called NAD, which appears to play a role in the aging process. NAD levels rose with vitamin B3 treatment and signs of cellular aging slowed, researchers reported Nov. 15 in the journal Nature Aging . "As we age, we seem to metabolize a molecule known as NAD," Scheibye-Knudsen said. "The loss of this molecule is also seen after DNA damage, for instance the type of damage associated with smoking." As such, he said NAD may be a target for future research and treatment. Meanwhile, his team plans a larger study to confirm the initial findings. "We hope this research will pave the way for new treatment options for COPD patients," Scheibye-Knudsen said. Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.