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Catalyst

nicotinic acidFinding

Nicotinic acid increases HDL cholesterol

raisesModerate evidenceFinding

01 · The sentence it was drawn from

“The net effect of the addition of niacin to statin therapy was a 17% relative increase in HDL (p<0.001 for the difference between groups).”
Quoted verbatim from MRI-measured regression of carotid atherosclerosis induced by statins with and without niacin in a randomised controlled trial: the NIA plaque study.
This finding among the 93 findings on its endpoint

nicotinic acid

HDL cholesterol

raises

Who
Adults over 65 years with established atherosclerosis, all on statin therapy in both arms; 72 randomised to niacin and 73 to placebo
Dose studied
extended release niacin (Abbott) titrated to a target of 1500 mg daily over 12 weeks, added to statin; 88% of the niacin arm reached 1500 mg; comparator placebo plus statin

Moderate evidencePMID 23872591 · 2013

02 · The study

Study
RCT
Duration
18 months

Evidence, by strength

  • strong
  • moderatethis finding
  • limited
  • very limited
  • insufficient

03 · The paper

Heart (British Cardiac Society)
What else it reported1 finding · 1 compound · 1 endpoint

04 · To cite this finding

This address does not change

https://catalystproject.ai/e/01M6ZJ6SWXG5RV9CVA0DAZV4WZ