NR Doubled NAD+ in Older Adults, but Thinking Did Not Improve
Graded Preliminary — a small pilot trial in which chance assigned 52 older adults to NR or a dummy pill for twelve weeks; too few people to detect small effects.
- Design
- Randomized controlled trial
- Participants
- 52
- Duration
- 12 weeks
- Funding
- US National Institute on Aging and National Institute of General Medical…
NR doubled blood NAD+ in older adults with memory problems, but their thinking did not improve over twelve weeks.
Falling levels of a molecule called NAD+ may raise the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Nicotinamide riboside, or NR, is a building block the body uses to make NAD+. In a small trial, NR doubled blood NAD+ in older adults with memory problems. Their thinking and memory, however, did not measurably improve over twelve weeks.
Everyone was 65 or older and had mild cognitive impairment, a stage where memory slips more than usual. Chance decided which of the 52 participants took 1,000 milligrams of NR a day and which took a dummy pill. Forty-two finished the study. Blood flow to the brain as a whole and blood pressure showed no clear change either. Nobody had serious side effects.
An extra analysis hinted at more blood flow in the left hippocampus, one specific brain region. That signal is shaky, because when many regions are tested, one hit can easily be chance. The trial was small and lasted only twelve weeks, so smaller effects may have gone unnoticed.
Disclaimer: Research summaries are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your health routine.