Tier 2 — strong

A randomized placebo-controlled trial of nicotinamide riboside in older adults with mild cognitive impairment

Orr ME, Kotkowski E, Ramirez P, Bair-Kelps D, Liu Q, Brenner C, Schmidt MS, Fox PT, Larbi A, Tan C, Wong G, Gelfond J, Frost B, Espinoza S, Musi N, Powers B
GeroScience 2024 46; 1; 665-682

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 37994989
PubMed Central
PMC10828186
DOI
10.1007/s11357-023-00999-9
Funding
Indexed grant support includes NIGMS NIH HHS, NIA NIH HHS, NIMH NIH HHS, NCATS NIH HHS. The complete funding declaration is not specified in the accessible abstract.
Competing interests
Disclosures include NR-related intellectual property, ChromaDex advisory work and equity, product supply, and a separate neuronal-senescence patent.

Study snapshot

DesignRandomized placebo-controlled human trial
ModelHuman participants
Sample20 older adults with mild cognitive impairment
InterventionNR dose escalation to 1000 mg/day versus placebo
Duration10 weeks
EndpointsCognition; blood NAD+; cerebral blood flow

What the study showed, in plain terms

NR increased blood NAD+ and was tolerated, but did not improve cognition. Exploratory blood-flow and epigenetic findings require confirmation.

Key findings

NR increased blood NAD+ and was tolerated, but did not improve cognition. Exploratory blood-flow and epigenetic findings require confirmation.

What this study can and cannot tell us

Pilot size and multiple comparisons. Reported regional blood-flow differences would not withstand correction for multiplicity.

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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