Ingestion of β-nicotinamide mononucleotide increased blood NAD levels, maintained walking speed, and improved sleep quality in older adults in a double-blind randomized, placebo-controlled study

Morifuji M, Higashi S, Ebihara S, Nagata M · GeroScience

Null on the primary endpoint — the stepping test showed no difference at 4 or 12 weeks. Grip strength, SPPB score, selective response time and body composition did not differ either. Among secondary endpoints the 4-metre walking time was shorter than placebo at 12 weeks, which the paper describes as maintaining walking speed rather than improving it; blood NAD+, nicotinamide, 2-PY, 4-PY, NaMN and NaR were all higher than placebo at both 4 and 12 weeks; and PSQI scores for daytime dysfunction (p=0.010) and global sleep quality (p=0.013) were lower at 12 weeks, the global score moving from 3.9 to 4.3 on placebo and from 3.5 to 3.2 on NMN.

Population

Older adults, 30 per arm

Intervention

NMN 250 mg/day for 12 weeks

Comparator

Placebo

Limitations

The title reports secondary endpoints. Both sleep scores already favoured the NMN arm at baseline, and the global score separated partly because the placebo arm's worsened. The walking result is framed by the authors as maintenance rather than improvement. Funded entirely by a food manufacturer, three of whose employees are among the four authors.