Tier 1 — highest

Effects of Nicotinamide Mononucleotide Supplementation on Muscle and Liver Functions Among the Middle-aged and Elderly: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Jian-Peng Wang, Li Wang, Ting Wang, Yi-Dan Zhang, Ao-Jia Zhou, Zi-Ping Wang, Zhang-E Xiong
Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology 2025 26(13):2141–2152

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 39185644
DOI
10.2174/0113892010306242240808094303
Funding
Funding information was not exposed in the accessible PubMed abstract; external scholarly indexing lists the National Natural Science Foundation of China (award G7696424123).
Competing interests
A competing-interest statement was not available in the accessible PubMed record or publisher abstract during this audit.

Study snapshot

DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials identified in PubMed, Embase and Web of Science; methodological quality assessed using Cochrane guidance.
ModelMiddle-aged and older adults receiving NMN in randomized controlled trials.
Sample9 studies; 412 participants.
InterventionOral NMN supplementation versus control across included randomized trials.
DurationVaried across the nine included trials.
EndpointsGait speed; Muscle-related outcomes; ALT; Liver-related outcomes; HOMA-IR; Insulin resistance

What the study showed, in plain terms

This meta-analysis pooled nine randomized trials involving 412 middle-aged and older adults to examine muscle- and liver-related outcomes.

The authors reported a statistically significant pooled signal for gait speed and a small reduction in ALT, with a dose-subgroup signal for HOMA-IR.

These results should be interpreted cautiously because they come from a small and heterogeneous trial base, and the paper's abstract uses broad language that can overstate what modest surrogate changes establish clinically.

Key findings

  • Nine randomized studies with 412 participants were included.
  • A statistically significant pooled effect was reported for gait speed (SMD 0.34; 95% CI 0.03–0.66).
  • ALT showed a small statistically significant reduction (SMD -0.29; 95% CI -0.55 to -0.03).
  • A subgroup analysis suggested a stronger HOMA-IR effect at lower NMN doses.
  • The review's positive conclusions should be weighed against the limited size and heterogeneity of the underlying evidence.

What this study can and cannot tell us

Only nine studies were included, and the accessible abstract does not provide enough detail to independently assess all subgroup definitions, heterogeneity estimates or publication-bias analyses.

Changes in gait speed, ALT and HOMA-IR are not equivalent to demonstrated anti-aging efficacy, improved disability outcomes or prevention of liver disease.

Citation network

Articles citing this research paper

2 articles

Biohack Blueprint analyses that reference this study in their evidence base.

Editorial review

Reviewed by the Biohack Blueprint research team

Last verified

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