We recommend starting it at no more than 500 milligrams a day, under the guidance of a doctor. Regular intake of niacin may be one of the official recommendations in the future. I've seen some significant improvement in unfavorable lipid levels with niacin alone. I've lost some weight over the last year and have seen some significant improvement in my lipid profiles. And I also take some vitamins, specifically Bs and Es for their antioxidant effects.
Vitamins are relatively inexpensive and have little side effects.
Aspirin, too, is proving to be an excellent prophylactic drug for those with risk factors for heart disease. They should be taking one aspirin a day. Actually a baby aspirin is good enough. That's about a quarter of a dose of regular aspirin and should be adequate for cardiovascular protection.