Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39870055›Full record

ArticleAmerican journal of nephrology2025

The Association of Niacin Use with Kidney Outcomes and Mortality.

Rina Takahashi, Thuy-Anh Bui, Ibrahim Elali, Diana Tran, Keiichi Sumida, Fridtjof Thomas, Ramanath Dukkipati, Anuja Shah, Connie M Rhee, Csaba P Kovesdy and 2 more

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Article in American journal of nephrology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Rina TakahashiLos Angeles County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, and The Lundquist Institute, Torrance, California, USA.
Thuy-Anh BuiHarold Simmons Center for Kidney Disease Research and Epidemiology, Orange, California, USA.
Ibrahim ElaliLos Angeles County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, and The Lundquist Institute, Torrance, California, USA.
Diana TranLos Angeles County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, and The Lundquist Institute, Torrance, California, USA.
Keiichi SumidaDivision of Nephrology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
Fridtjof ThomasDivision of Nephrology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
Ramanath DukkipatiLos Angeles County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, and The Lundquist Institute, Torrance, California, USA.
Anuja ShahLos Angeles County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, and The Lundquist Institute, Torrance, California, USA.
Connie M RheeWest Los Angeles VA Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Csaba P KovesdyDivision of Nephrology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
Kamyar Kalantar-ZadehLos Angeles County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, and The Lundquist Institute, Torrance, California, USA.
Rina Takahashi

Funding

HSRD VA I01 HX002680
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionNiacin is a non-statin lipid-lowering therapy that has been shown to lower triglycerides and improve other risk factors for renal outcomes. Despite these favorable data, the effect of niacin on long-term kidney outcomes remains unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the associations of niacin therapies with incident chronic kidney disease (CKD), end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and death in patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of at least 60 mL/min/1.73 m2.

methodsIn a nationwide historic cohort of 1,139,630 United States (US) veterans with normal baseline eGFR, we examined the association of de novo prescription of niacin with incident CKD (defined as eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 on two occasions, separated by ≥90 days), ESRD (defined as the initiation of kidney replacement therapy), and death. Associations were examined in Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for demographics, major comorbidities, laboratory measurements, and medications. Prescription time-distribution matching was used to control for survival bias.

resultsWe identified 133,450 new users of niacin. Overall, patients (n = 1,139,630) had a mean (standard deviation) age of 60 (13) years, with 6% female, 78% white, 16% black, and 6% Hispanic. Niacin users were more likely to be male, white, current, or former smokers, with higher frequencies of comorbidities and statin use. Niacin use (vs. nonuse) was associated with a higher risk of CKD (HR: 1.08, 95% confidence interval:1.07-1.10) but a lower risk of ESRD (0.82, 0.76-0.88) and death (0.90, 0.89-0.91).

conclusionsIn a large national cohort of US veterans with normal kidney function, niacin use was associated with a lower risk of ESRD and death but with a higher risk of incident CKD, which is potentially explained by acute effects on eGFR. Further studies are needed to corroborate the potential benefits of niacin on kidney function and survival.

Indexed as

Hypolipidemic AgentsKidney Failure, ChronicNiacinRenal Insufficiency, ChronicAgedCohort StudiesFemaleGlomerular Filtration RateHumansIncidenceMaleMiddle AgedProportional Hazards ModelsRisk FactorsUnited StatesVeteransHypolipidemic AgentsNiacinChronic kidney diseaseEnd-stage renal diseaseMortalityNiacin

Identifiers

PMID39870055
PMCPMC13005922

What Socratic holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.