\r\n \r\n The headline says -
\nNiacin therapy unhelpful, occasionally harmful: study
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\nHow absolutely ridiculous. The study was not about niacin. It was between a Merck drug based upon niacin and a placebo. Yet, the media will scare the public with yet another natural vs pharm.
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\nWASHINGTON � A combination drug containing niacin failed to lower the risk of heart attacks or strokes and even proved harmful for some with vascular disease, a study released Saturday reported.
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\nNiacin, also known as vitamin B3, has for years been widely prescribed to lower "bad" LDL cholesterol and raise levels of "good" HDL cholesterol.
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\nThe link between high levels of LDL cholesterol and heart disease is well-documented, and doctors work to mitigate that risk with diet and lifestyle changes as well as a variety of medications.
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\nBut even with these protocols in place, heart disease and stroke claim lives and cause damage, so scientists continue searching for ways to improve the treatment.
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\nNiacin -' + '- in doses about 100 times higher than the recommended amount from food -' + '- was thought to be helpful.
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\nIndeed, the combination drug used in the study -' + '- made by US pharmaceutical giant Merck and combining extended release niacin with laropiprant -' + '- is already approved in 70 countries, though not the US.
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\nBut when tested against a placebo in more than 25,000 patients, it failed to reduce the numbers of heart attacks, strokes or other serious cardiovascular problems.
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\nEven more worryingly, the study showed unexpectedly higher levels of bleeding and infections in the group taking the drug versus the placebo.
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\nAnd the group taking the study drug also showed higher levels of other side effects, including new cases of diabetes and complications for previously-diagnosed diabetes, as well as rashes and diarrhea.
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\n"We are disappointed that these results did not show benefits for our patients", said Jane Armitage, lead author of the study, which included more than 25,000 subjects.
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\nBut she and her fellow authors said the result is important, because it gives evidence that the risks of niacin outweigh the benefits when used with current treatments.
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\nArmitage said it was unlikely the poor outcome could be linked to the second component of the drug, laropiprant, which was included to reduce the facial flushing caused by niacin.
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\nThe lack of benefit on heart attacks and strokes is consistent with another recent, smaller-scale study of niacin, which did not use laropiprant, and many of the side effects are known to be due to niacin, she explained.
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\nBecause of the results of this research, Merck has withdrawn its application for FDA approval of the drug and suspended its sale around the world.\r\n

\r\n __________________
\r\n .
\n- Jim
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\n �Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened.� Sir Winston Churchill\r\n

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