Abstract Body (Do not enter title and authors here): Introduction:
Niacin is a non-statin lipid-lowering therapy that has been shown to lower triglycerides and improve other risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. However, previous studies have reported inconsistent effects of niacin on mortality, and its effect on long-term prognosis has not been well studied.
Goals:
The aim of this study is to examine the association of niacin therapy with long-term all-cause mortality.
Methods:
In a nationwide historical cohort of 1,139,630 US Veterans with normal baseline kidney function, we examined the association of de novo niacin prescription from 2004 to 2006 with all-cause mortality during a 14-year follow-up. Associations were examined in Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for demographics, major comorbidities, and laboratory measurements. Prescription time-distribution matching was used to control for survival bias.
Results:
We identified 133,450 new users of niacin. Overall, patients had a mean (standard deviation) age of 60 (13) years, with 6% female, 78% White, 16% Black, and 6% Hispanic. Niacin users were more likely to be male, White, current, or former smokers and had higher frequencies of comorbidities. Niacin use (vs. non-use) was associated with a lower risk of death (Hazard ratio: 0.89, 95% confidential interval: 0.88-0.90) in the fully adjusted model (Model 4, Figure).
Conclusion:
In a large national cohort of US Veterans, niacin use was associated with a lower risk of death. Further studies are needed to corroborate the potential benefits of niacin on survival.