Effect of nicotinamide riboside on airway inflammation in COPD: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial

Norheim KL, Ben Ezra M, Heckenbach I, Andreasson LM, Eriksen LL, Dyhre-Petersen N · Nature Aging

Sputum interleukin-8 fell 52.6% more than placebo at 6 weeks (95% CI -75.7% to -7.6%, p=0.030) and the effect persisted 12 weeks after treatment stopped (-63.7%, 95% CI -85.7% to -7.8%). Whole-blood NAD+ more than doubled; plasma IL-6 was unchanged. Exploratory analyses suggested reduced epigenetic ageing and upregulated genomic-integrity pathways in the airway.

Population

Patients with stable non-eosinophilic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, all former smokers

Intervention

Nicotinamide riboside 1 g twice a day — 2 g/day — for 6 weeks

Comparator

Placebo

Limitations

Forty patients, six weeks; the primary endpoint is a sputum biomarker, not symptoms, exacerbations or lung function. The dose is 2 g a day, twice what the other nicotinamide riboside trials here used, so its results do not transfer to a 1 g regimen. The epigenetic-age findings are exploratory and the authors say so.