From: fritz@fc.sde.hp.com (Gary Fritz)
Newsgroups: sci.med.nutrition
Subject: Re: Are there any dietary magic bullets to lower cholestrol?
Date: 10 Nov 92 16:05:07 GMT
Article-I.D.: fc.BxICoL.5AG
Organization: HP SESD, Fort Collins, CO
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Steve Dyer (dyer@spdcc.com) wrote:
: In article <BxGr1o.E7s@fc.sde.hp.com> fritz@fc.sde.hp.com (Gary Fritz) writes:
: >According to research I have read, the safest and most efficacious form
: >of niacin for treating hyperlipidemia is inositol hexaniacinate, or IHN.
: >Doses of several grams per day have been monitored with no side effects.
: 
: I really know nothing about this other than what you've posted here already,
: ...It'd be nice
: if it proved to be as or more effective than niacin or have fewer (or no)
: side effects, but I think it's too early to conclude this.

I haven't chased through the references (having no medical library nearby),
but you're welcome to -- see below.

I have a number of references that talk about the efficacy of niacin for 
hyperlipidemia in general, but I think that's well-accepted.  These references 
specifically talk about IHN's effectiveness and safety as compared to other
forms.

You might be able to help clarify some of the details that I'm not
certain about, specifically the chemical form/name/whatever for the
various flavors of niacin.  Do you have a reference that might explain 
the differences between

niacin
crystalline niacin ( == niacin?)
niacinamide
nicotinamide ( == niacinamide?)
nicotinic acid ( == nicotinamide?)
sustained-release niacin

and then there's IHN, which I've seen called inositol hexaniacinate *and*
inositol hexanicotinate.

Gary


Here are the references I have.  This is the only source I've got, and
the citations are fairly old, but I would guess that there are also
some more recent studies if someone would look.  Sorry for any typos.

Welsh & Edel, Inositol hexanicotinate for improved nicotinic acid therapy.
  Inc Record Med 174:9-15, 1961.
  153 patients treated with IHN at dosages from 600 to 1800mg/day;
  no adverse side effects noted.

El Enein, Hatez, Salem, Ahriel, The role of nicotinic acid and inositol
  hexanicotinate as anticholesterolemic and antilipemic agents.
  Nutr. Reports Int. 28:899-911, 1983.
  Rabbits with induced hyperlipidemia treated with 30 mg/kg body weight
  of either niacin or IHN.  IHN found to be more effective.

Dorner & Fischer, The influence of inositol hexanicotinate ester on the
  serum lipids and lipoproteins.  Arzheim Forsch (German?) 11:110-113, 1961.
  16 hyperlipidemic patients treated with 1200mg IHN for 4 weeks followed
  by 1600mg/day for 40 weeks.  "No side-effects whatever were observed
  in any of the cases treated."

Seckforth, Treating circulatory problems with inositol nicotinic acid ester.
  Med K?n (can't read fax here) 10:416-418, 1959.
  Dosages up to 1800mg/day "without mentionable side effects".


Two other articles are cited without elaboration:

Hutt, Wechsler, Klor, Ditschuneit, Changes in lipids and lipoproteins
  in patients with hyperlipidemia type IIa, IV, and V treate with different
  lipid lowering drugs.  Artery 8:113-119, 1980.

Ibid, Lipids and lipoproteins in hyperlipidemia type IIa during treatment
  with different lipid lowering drugs.  Artery 8:519-529, 1980.

There are 18 other articles cited referring to niacin in general for
hyperlipidemia and for treatment of intermittent claudication and
Raynaud's disease, and the dangers and side-effects of high dosages
of niacin and sustained-release niacin.
Newsgroups: sci.med.nutrition