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Effects of nicotinamide mononucleotide on older patients with diabetes and impaired physical performance: A prospective, placebo-controlled, double-blind study

Hiroshi Akasaka, Hironori Nakagami, Ken Sugimoto, Yukiko Yasunobe, Tomohiro Minami, Taku Fujimoto, Koichi Yamamoto, Chikako Hara, Akihiko Shiraki, Kohji Nishida, Kento Asano, Masanobu Kanou, Kei Yamana, Shin-Ichiro Imai, Hiromi Rakugi
Geriatrics & Gerontology International 2023 23(1):38-43

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 36443648
DOI
10.1111/ggi.14513
Funding
Research funding was provided by Teijin Ltd.
Competing interests
The author group included employees/affiliates of Teijin Ltd. and NOMON, which is relevant because NOMON manufactures and sells NMN; Shin-Ichiro Imai also has longstanding NMN-related intellectual-property interests.

Study snapshot

DesignProspective, placebo-controlled, double-blind parallel-group trial.
ModelMen aged 65 years or older with type 2 diabetes and impaired grip strength or walking speed.
Sample16 participants were randomized (8 NMN, 8 placebo); 14 participants were studied/analyzed in the published report.
InterventionNMN 250 mg/day versus placebo.
Duration24 weeks.
EndpointsSafety; Grip strength; Walking speed; Exploratory geriatric and metabolic indicators

What the study showed, in plain terms

This small trial studied older men with diabetes and reduced physical performance, a population more clinically relevant than the healthy-volunteer studies. Participants received 250 mg/day NMN or placebo for 24 weeks.

NMN was tolerated, but the primary measures of grip strength and walking speed did not differ between groups. Exploratory secondary outcomes generated signals that later reports, including a retinal analysis, examined separately.

Key findings

  • No severe adverse events attributable to NMN were reported.
  • Changes in grip strength did not differ significantly between NMN and placebo.
  • Changes in walking speed did not differ significantly between groups.
  • The very small sample makes secondary and subgroup findings exploratory.

What this study can and cannot tell us

The trial randomized only 16 older men and analyzed 14, making it severely underpowered for modest efficacy effects. The primary outcomes—grip strength and walking speed—did not significantly differ between groups. Exploratory secondary findings should therefore be treated as hypothesis-generating. Research funding came from Teijin Ltd., and the author group included affiliations with Teijin and NOMON.

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Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology