EVALUATION OF EFFECTS OF UNMODIFIED NIACIN ON PASTING AND POSTPRANDIAL PLASMA-LIPIDS IN NORMOLIPIDEMIC MEN WITH HYPOALPHALIPOPROTEINEMIA

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to define the effects of unmodified niacin on basal lipids and lipoproteins and on the plasma triglycerid e response to a fatty meal-postprandial or alimentary lipemia-in indiv iduals with low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and normal fasting cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations (normo lipidemic hypoalphalipoproteinemia, isolated low HDL-C). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight normolipidemic men (total plasma cholesterol con centration [TC] <230 mg/dL [<6 mmol/L], plasma triglyceride [Tg] <250 mg/dL [2.75 mmol/L]) with low plasma concentrations of HDL-C were rand omly assigned to increasing doses of crystalline niacin (up to 3,000 m g/d) or no drug for 12 weeks, then crossed over to the alternate regim en. Outcome measures included changes in plasma lipoproteins and alime ntary lipemia. RESULTS: Fifteen participants completed the study. Mean baseline HDL-C +/-SD was 31.7 +/- 6.2 mg/dL (0.82 +/- 0.16 mmol/L). M ean baseline TC, plasma concentration of low-density lipoprotein chole sterol (LDL-C), and Tg were 192 +/- 29.4 mg/dL (4.97 +/- 0.76 mmol/L), 123 +/- 27 mg/dL (3.17 +/- 0.69 mmol/L), and 197 +/- 75 mg/dL (2.17 /- 0.83 mmol/L), respectively. Unmodified niacin treatment resulted in significant (P <0.001) reductions of 14% in TC (to 165 mg/dL, 4.26 mm ol/L), 40% in Tg (to 119 mg/dL, 1.31 mmol/L), and 18% in LDL-C (to 101 mg/dL, 2.60 mmol/L) and significant increases of 30% in HDL-C (to 42 mg/dL, 1.07 mmol/L), 100% in HDL(2) cholesterol (from 5 mg/dL to 9 mg/ dL, 0.12 mmol/L to 0.24 mmol/l), and 21% in HDL(3) cholesterol (from 2 7 mg/dL to 33 mg/dL, 0.70 mmol/L to 0.85 mmol/L). Unmodified niacin tr eatment reduced alimentary lipemia by 45% (P <0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Crys talline niacin effectively raises HDL-C, lowers LDL-C, and reduces ali mentary lipemia in patients with isolated low HDL-C. However, many pat ients have difficulty tolerating the drug, and supervision may be requ ired to sustain patient compliance and avoid toxicity.