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• Posted November 22, 2024

Could a Vitamin Be Effective Treatment for COPD?

A daily dose of vitamin B3 reduced inflammation in the lungs of patients with COPD, Danish researchers report. 

"This is significant, because inflammation can lead to reduced lung function in these patients," said researcher Morten Scheibye-Knudsen, of the University of Copenhagen.

Patients with COPD -- the full name of which is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease -- are more likely to get pneumonia, influenza and other serious respiratory infections, which can be fatal.

The new study included 40 participants with COPD and a control group of 20 healthy volunteers. They received either 2 grams a day of nicotinamide riboside -- a member of the vitamin B3 family -- or a placebo.

After six weeks, researchers saw a 53% drop in a marker of inflammation known as interleukin 8, or IL 8. After 12 more weeks of vitamin therapy, the effect increased by 63%.

"In other words," the researchers said in a university news release, "The group treated with vitamin B3 experienced reduced lung inflammation during the study."

More study will be needed to confirm the findings and determine the long-term effect of nicotinamid riboside in treating COPD, Scheibye-Knudsen said.

During the study, the team also observed that COPD patients have lower blood levels of a chemical called NAD, which appears to play a role in the aging process. 

NAD levels rose with vitamin B3 treatment and signs of cellular aging slowed, researchers reported Nov. 15 in the journal Nature Aging.

"As we age, we seem to metabolize a molecule known as NAD," Scheibye-Knudsen said. "The loss of this molecule is also seen after DNA damage, for instance the type of damage associated with smoking."

As such, he said NAD may be a target for future research and treatment.

Meanwhile, his team plans a larger study to confirm the initial findings.

"We hope this research will pave the way for new treatment options for COPD patients," Scheibye-Knudsen said.

More information

There's more about COPD at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

SOURCE: University of Copenhagen, news release, Nov. 20, 2024