Vitamin B3 supplement for Parkinson's shows no improvement of symptoms
Results from a phase 3 study showed that people taking the supplement reported worse symptoms than those taking the placebo drug.
Latest results from a large study of a form of vitamin b3 called nicotinamide riboside (NAD) for Parkinson's show that it's not able to improve symptoms or slow progression of the condition.
What's the research behind NAD for Parkinson's?
Previous research carried out in fruit flies has shown that higher doses of NAD may boost energy in brain cells. This could help counteract the impact of faulty mitochondria, which are small structures responsible for producing energy for cells to use. In Parkinson's, it's thought that mitochondria become damaged.
Read more about the role of mitochondria in Parkinson's on our blog.
Small clinical trials involving people with Parkinson's taking an NAD supplement had previously suggested that there could be some benefit to taking the supplement. However, these trials had used a very high dose of NAD (up to 3000mg a day), and were only monitored over a short period of time.
What did the researchers do?
In the NOPARK study, 410 people with Parkinson's who had been diagnosed within the last 2 years were randomly split into 2 groups. Participants took either 500mg of NAD, or a placebo pill, twice a day for a year.
All participants had clinical assessments before and after the trial, measuring their movement and non-movement symptoms.
What were the results?
At the end of the study, people who had taken the NAD supplement appeared to be doing worse than those on the placebo in terms of their Parkinson's symptoms. This was particularly evident when looking at non-movement symptoms, where people taking NAD scored much higher, indicating a worsening of their symptoms.
Read the results on the JAMA Network website.
What's next?
Dr Becky Jones, Research Communications Lead at Parkinson's UK, comments: "It's always disappointing to get to the end of a large trial like this and not see any improvement. We encourage people to get in touch with us if they want any information or support.
"This was a comprehensive study carried out across 11 sites in Norway, with over 400 people taking part. While it's not what we hoped for, the evidence gathered as part of this study is robust and will help strengthen future research trials.
"This is not the end of research into supplements for Parkinson's. For example, we're currently funding research looking at the benefit of ginger for Parkinson's. And there are plenty more potential treatments being tested for their potential to slow or stop Parkinson's getting worse, including a further 5 in phase 3. We'll continue funding and supporting research until we find new and better treatments."
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