Nicotinamide riboside – a form of vitamin B3 found in fruits, vegetables, meat, and milk – could hold hope for improving quality of life in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), say Danish researchers.
COPD patients supplemented with nicotinamide riboside – a precursor of the central metabolite nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), which declines with age – experienced reduced lung inflammation, according to the study, which was published in the journal Nature Aging.
“In the study, we show that nicotinamide riboside, also known as vitamin B3, can reduce lung inflammation in COPD patients,” said co-author Morten Scheibye-Knudsen, associate professor at the Center for Healthy Aging at the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Copenhagen.
“This is significant, because inflammation can lead to reduced lung function in these patients.”
COPD, a progressive, incurable disease associated with smoking and advanced age, is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. It causes shortness of breath, persistent cough with mucus, and wheezing, as well as an increased risk of respiratory infections and pneumonia.
COPD affects around 600 million people globally; however, just half of these individuals are aware they have the disease.
The double-blinded, randomised, placebo-controlled study, which was conducted by researchers from the University of Copenhagen and Bispebjerg Hospital, included 40 COPD patients and 20 healthy control subjects. Participants were given either 2 grams nicotinamide riboside daily, or a placebo, for six weeks.
A significant drop in the inflammation marker interleukin-8 was observed in patients treated with vitamin B3: after six weeks, a 53% decrease in interleukin-8 levels was recorded, rising to 63% after a further 12 weeks.
The researchers also found that COPD patients have lower levels of NAD+ in their blood, which is associated with accelerated ageing based on DNA methylation levels. Nicotinamide riboside supplementation “increased NAD+ levels by more than twofold in whole blood”, they found, and there were also signs of delayed cellular ageing.
“As we age, we seem to metabolise a molecule known as NAD+. The loss of this molecule is also seen after DNA damage – for instance, the type of damage associated with smoking,” Scheibye-Knudsen said.
This means that the molecule may influence the ageing process, making it a potential target for future treatment. However, the researchers warned against reading too much into the results, as more research is required to fully understand the impact of NAD+.
“We hope this research will pave the way for new treatment options for COPD patients, but first we need to continue to analyse and validate the results in larger and more comprehensive studies. Only through thorough research will we be able to offer the best and most effective treatment to people suffering from this difficult disease,” Scheibye-Knudsen said.
He added: “Even though the results are promising, we need to carry out more studies on larger populations to confirm our findings and to determine the long-term effects of nicotinamide riboside in treatment for COPD.”
