This theory didn\u2019t age well. <\/p>\n
A popular supplement commonly marketed for improving longevity<\/a> failed to show meaningful benefits for people with early-stage Parkinson\u2019s disease in a new study<\/a>.<\/p>\n The findings dash hopes that the vitamin B3 derivative could slow the disease\u2019s progression \u2014 with symptoms actually worsening for some patients.<\/p>\n Parkinson\u2019s is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects more than 1 million Americans. LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n Parkinson\u2019s develops when nerve cells in the brain become damaged and die, reducing levels of dopamine, a chemical messenger that helps coordinate movement.<\/p>\n As the disease progresses, patients can develop tremors, stiff muscles, slowed movements and problems with balance.<\/p>\n It can also cause non-motor symptoms, including depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, digestive problems<\/a>, speech changes, bladder issues and sudden drops in blood pressure when standing. <\/p>\n The study authors recruited 410 adults aged 35 and older from 11 centers across Norway who had been diagnosed with early-stage Parkinson\u2019s within the prior two years.<\/p>\n Before the trial, all had been taking levodopa alongside carbidopa or benserazide three times a day, plus 10 milligrams of selegiline daily. They stuck with their usual medications throughout the study unless it was clinically necessary.<\/p>\n At the start, researchers assessed each of the participants using the MDS-UPDRS scale, a standard measurement of Parkinson\u2019s severity. The worse the symptoms, the higher the score.<\/p>\n The participants were then randomly split into two groups. One took a 500-milligram tablet of nicotinamide riboside<\/a> (NR) twice daily for a year, while the other received a placebo.<\/p>\n Nicotinamide riboside is a vitamin B3 derivative sold as an over-the-counter supplement. MakZin \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n NR is a form of vitamin B3 that the body converts into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, or NAD+<\/a>. <\/p>\n NAD+ plays a role in several essential processes, including converting food into energy, repairing damaged DNA, maintaining cellular defenses and regulating the body\u2019s internal clock.<\/p>\n Levels of NAD+ naturally decline as people get older, and changes in the molecule have been linked to aging and several chronic conditions, including heart disease, Alzheimer\u2019s disease and vision loss.<\/p>\n NR has become a $2 billion global market<\/a>, as celebrities from Kendall Jenner<\/a> to Joe Rogan and Jennifer Aniston have touted the benefits of NAD+.<\/p>\n Earlier laboratory studies and small clinical trials<\/a> had raised hopes that boosting NAD+ levels could protect the nerve cells damaged by Parkinson\u2019s.<\/p>\n But when researchers put the theory to a larger test, the results fell short.<\/p>\n After one year, participants taking NR saw their scores worsen by an average of 2.45 points on the MDS-UPDRS scale. In the placebo group, scores improved by 0.27 points.<\/p>\n The 2.72-point difference between the groups was statistically significant and favored the placebo, but it was too small to be considered clinically meaningful, the study authors noted. <\/p>\n The team also assessed non-motor symptoms, including mood and sleep problems, which worsened more among those taking NR than those given the placebo.<\/p>\n Imaging tests showed no evidence that NR slowed or accelerated changes in the brain\u2019s dopamine system. The overall rate of adverse events was also similar in both groups.<\/p>\n \u201cNR clearly increased NAD metabolism, but this did not translate into clinical improvement,\u201d study leader Charalampos Tzoulis, a professor at Haukeland University Hospital and the University of Bergen, said in a press release<\/a>. \u201cOur results therefore do not support NR as a treatment to slow Parkinson\u2019s disease.\u201d<\/p>\n Researchers had hoped that boosting levels of NAD+ would protect nerve cells in the brain that are damaged by Parkinson\u2019s. Chanita \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n Based on the findings, the researchers advised against using NR or other NAD-boosting products to treat Parkinson\u2019s outside controlled clinical trials.<\/p>\n However, they noted that the results don\u2019t rule out the possibility that treatments targeting NAD+ could help with other diseases. <\/p>\n \u201cAlthough the results were not what we had hoped for, their contribution has answered an important medical question and provided valuable guidance for future research,\u201d Tzoulis said.<\/p>\n The findings mark the latest development in the ongoing search for better Parkinson\u2019s treatments, a disease that affects more than 10 million people worldwide, including about 1.1 million in the US, according to the Parkinson\u2019s Foundation<\/a>. <\/p>\n Each year, around 90,000 Americans are diagnosed with the progressive disorder, which is more common among men and older adults.<\/p>\n