Niacin Unsafe

Niacin—the B-vitamin often taken as a supplement to reduce triglycerides—appears to increase mortality risk, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers investigated the effects of an extended-release niacin on 25,673 participants as part of the Heart Protection Study 2–Treatment of HDL to Reduce the Incidence of Vascular Events (HPS2-THRIVE) study over four years. Those who took the niacin drug had a 9 percent increased risk for death, compared with the placebo group. Niacin did not reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke.