As life expectancy increases, many people face health challenges as they age, including chronic illnesses like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
This condition affects around 600 million people worldwide, but only about half of them know they have it.
COPD is a progressive lung disease that can make daily life difficult. Common symptoms include shortness of breath, a persistent cough with mucus, wheezing, and frequent respiratory infections. These issues can severely impact quality of life.
However, new research offers hope for those with COPD. A study conducted by the University of Copenhagen and Bispebjerg Hospital suggests that a form of vitamin B3, called nicotinamide riboside, may help reduce lung inflammation in COPD patients. The findings were published in Nature Aging.
Associate Professor Morten Scheibye-Knudsen, one of the study’s authors, explains, “We found that nicotinamide riboside can lower lung inflammation in COPD patients. This is important because inflammation can reduce lung function and make symptoms worse.”
Inflammation is a significant problem for people with COPD. It not only damages lung tissue but also increases the risk of respiratory infections and serious complications like pneumonia. In severe cases, infections such as the flu can lead to life-threatening lung issues.
Promising Results from the Study
The study included 40 COPD patients and 20 healthy individuals for comparison. Participants were randomly divided into two groups: one received a placebo, and the other was given two grams of vitamin B3 daily.
The study was double-blinded, meaning neither the researchers nor the participants knew who was receiving the actual treatment.
Over time, the results showed a noticeable decrease in lung inflammation for the group taking vitamin B3.
Researchers measured levels of a key inflammation marker called interleukin 8 (IL-8) in the blood. After six weeks, IL-8 levels dropped by 53%, and after 12 weeks, the reduction increased to 63%.
This reduction in inflammation is significant because it could potentially slow the progression of COPD and improve symptoms for patients.
A Potential Link Between Vitamin B3 and Aging
The researchers also discovered that COPD patients had lower levels of a molecule called NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) in their blood.
NAD plays a vital role in cellular repair and metabolism. Lower NAD levels are often linked to accelerated aging, partly due to DNA damage—something smoking, a major cause of COPD, is known to exacerbate.
Treatment with vitamin B3 not only reduced inflammation but also increased NAD levels in the blood. This suggests that vitamin B3 may help delay cellular aging and repair some of the damage caused by COPD.
“As we age, we lose NAD, which can affect how cells repair themselves,” Scheibye-Knudsen notes. “This process is accelerated by DNA damage, like that caused by smoking. Restoring NAD levels might have broader implications for aging and chronic disease.”
More Research Needed
While the findings are promising, the study was small, with only 40 COPD patients. The researchers stress that larger studies are needed to confirm the results and explore the long-term effects of nicotinamide riboside.
“We hope this research will lead to new treatment options for COPD patients,” says Scheibye-Knudsen. “But we need more data from larger and more detailed studies before drawing firm conclusions.”
In the meantime, this study provides hope that vitamin B3 could become part of future treatments for COPD, helping patients manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life.
However, as with any new treatment, more thorough research is essential to ensure its safety and effectiveness.
If you care about lung health, please read studies about marijuana’s effects on lung health, and why some non-smokers get lung disease and some heavy smokers do not.
For more information about health, please see recent studies that olive oil may help you live longer, and vitamin D could help lower the risk of autoimmune diseases.
The research findings can be found in Nature Aging.
