At the beginning of the 20th century, the deadliest nutrition-related disease in American history ravaged the American South.Pellagra, a disease caused by Niacin and/or tryptophan deficiency,Mark as Four “D”s: Diarrhea, dermatitis, leading to horrific skin patches, dementia and death.During its height during the Great Depression, pellagra was killed Nearly 7,000 southerners per year.Researchers estimate that from 1906 to 1940, the epidemic occurred at approximately 3 million Americans, about 100,000 dead.
The deadly epidemic led to the voluntary (and eventually mandatory) addition of niacin, also known as vitamin B3, to wheat and other grains. By mid-century, pellagra had all but disappeared from the United States. But decades later, public health victories may backfire. With Americans’ diets relying more than ever on processed niacin-fortified foods, average niacin intake in the United States is now approaching the tolerable upper limit of the nutrient, according to a federal health survey.and extensive Recent research published in Nature Medicine Excessive amounts of niacin have been shown to potentially exacerbate cardiovascular disease, increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death.
The study, led by Stanley Hazen, chair of the Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences at Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute, linked high blood levels of niacin breakdown products (and, to a lesser extent, tryptophan) to associated with an increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events. hammer). This elevated risk does not appear to be related to known risk factors for these events, such as high cholesterol.
“What is exciting about these results is that this pathway appears to be a previously unrecognized but important contributor to the development of cardiovascular disease,” Hazen said in a statement about the study. He added that it can be measured. , may one day become a new avenue for treatment and prevention.
metabolite fishing
Hazen and his colleagues did not initially suspect that niacin might be a culprit in cardiovascular disease. They reached this point by collecting blood plasma from patients. The researchers carefully counted metabolites in the fasting plasma of 1,162 patients undergoing evaluation for cardiovascular disease. They are looking for any factors that may be associated with an increased risk of heart attack, stroke or death within three years that cannot be fully explained by other risk factors. Despite advances in identifying and treating cardiovascular disease, researchers note that some patients remain at risk for serious cardiovascular events despite having their traditional risk factors treated and controlled. Hazen and his colleagues wanted to know why.
Metabolome trawling uncovered an unknown metabolite (Character C7H9oxygen2nitrogen2) was significantly associated with the occurrence of MACE within three years. People with higher circulating levels of this metabolite had a relative MACE risk within the top 75% of the cohort. Further research revealed that the metabolite is actually two related molecules: 2PY (N1-methyl-2-pyridone-5-methamide) and 4PY (N1-methyl-4-pyridone-3-methylamide). amide) – both are the final breakdown products of niacin.
