Higher Daily Intake of Niacin Offers Neuroprotective Properties Against Glaucoma

by | Feb 14, 2022 | 2021, Eye Health, Vitamin B - General

Written by Taylor Woosley, Staff Writer. Participants with an increased niacin consumption of ≥21.01mg/day had a significantly reduced likelihood of developing glaucoma.

eye healthGlaucoma, a group of progressive neurodegenerative disorders of the optic nerve, is one of the most common causes of blindness and affects over 70 million people globally 1. The chronic progressive degeneration leads to loss of retinal ganglion cells, thinning of the retinal nerve fiber layer and resulting changes in the optic nerve head 2. Often, glaucoma is present in an asymptomatic nature until a relatively late stage of the disorder, making diagnosis difficult until substantial vision loss has occurred 3. Current treatment centers on reducing aqueous humor formation and lowering intraocular pressure through surgery 4. Further strategies are needed to reduce or reverse the progressive neurodegeneration of this disorder.

One method of combatting or preventing glaucoma is niacin supplementation. Niacin, also known as Vitamin B3, is a water-soluble B vitamin that is crucial in the formation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) 5. Researchers have noted the importance of NAD in the role of energy production, its role in decreasing signs of disease and NAD depletion that may lead to mitochondrial myopathies 6. Previous studies have proven niacin’s role in improving vascular endothelial function and decreasing vascular oxidative stress 7. Vitamin B3’s two coenzymes, NAD and NADP, play a significant role in gene expression, DNA repair and cell death, and is a key mediator of neuronal development and survival 8.

To better understand the role of niacin in relation to glaucoma progression, Taechameekietichai et al conducted an observational study based on the data provided from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2005 and 2008. In this study, a total of 5768 subjects (aged 40 years or older) were included based on their available glaucoma interview response and their provided daily niacin intake data. Of this large study group, 393 subjects self-reported the presence of glaucoma, representing 5.3% of the U.S. population.

The daily niacin consumption was divided into four groups to better examine the relationship between varying levels of niacin consumption and its role in the presence of glaucoma. The four quartiles of niacin consumption are as follows:

First quartile<15.33 mg/day
Second quartile≥15.33 to <21.01 mg/day
Third quartile≥21.01 to <28.23 mg/day
Fourth quartile≥28.23 to 161.05 mg/day

Compared to the subjects with no reported glaucoma, a higher proportion of subjects with diabetes (p<0.001) were found in the self-reported glaucoma group.Observational results of the study found:

  • Additionally, subjects reporting daily total energy intake (p<0.001) and those with a high school education or more (p=0.01) were significantly higher in the group with no reported glaucoma.
  • Compared to the first quartile, there was a significant decrease in the odds of glaucoma in the third quartile (OR 0.57, 95% Cl 0.43–0.76; p < 0.001) and fourth quartile (OR 0.57, 95% Cl 0.37–0.90; p = 0.018).
  • The unadjusted odds of self-reported glaucoma decreased the higher the quartile of niacin intake (p trend=0.001).
  • The crude odds of glaucoma disease are the least in the fourth quartile (OR 0.36, 95 %Cl 0.20–0.67; p = 0.002).

Data from the study indicates that a higher daily intake of niacin was associated with a lower incidence of glaucoma. Limitations of the study include misclassification bias due to the use of self-reporting of glaucoma, the potential of subject’s lack of awareness of their ophthalmic conditions, and the potential for inadequate statistical power due to the low number of participants with confirmed glaucoma. Researchers suggest further studies should explore specific niacin dosage to better understand niacin as a potential supplement or treatment to prevent glaucoma.

Source: Taechameekietichai, Teerajet, Sunee Chansangpetch, Pimnara Peerawaranun, and Shan C. Lin. “Association between Daily Niacin Intake and Glaucoma: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.” Nutrients 13, no. 12 (2021): 4263.

© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).

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Posted February 14, 2022.

Taylor Woosley studied biology at Purdue University before becoming a 2016 graduate of Columbia College Chicago with a major in Writing. She currently resides in Glen Ellyn, IL.

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