NIACIN MAY IMPROVE POST-STROKE NEUROLOGICAL FUNCTION
Michael Chopp, PhD, scientific director of the Henry Ford Neuroscience Institute has discovered that niacin (vitamin B3) has a protective function on neuralgic function following a stroke. Dr Chopp and his colleagues tested the effect of extended-release niacin in a rat model of stroke. The animals were given 40 milligrams/kilogram niacin daily for two weeks, beginning 24 hours after a two hour period of middle cerebral artery occlusion. A control group of animals did not receive the vitamin. When the animals' brains were examined, the researchers found new blood vessels and nerve cell sprouting in the rats that received niacin, indicating improved neurological outcome. Earlier research conducted at Henry Ford Hospital revealed low levels of HDL cholesterol in stroke patients at the time of admission. Dr Chopp determined that elevation of HDL by niacin increases the brain's growth of axons and dendrites. "Niacin essentially re-wires the brain which has very exciting potential for use in humans," Dr Chopp stated. "The results of this study may also open doors in other areas of neurological medicine, including brain injury." The findings were presented at the International Stroke Conference held in San Antonio.