Niacin vitamin side effects

Another treatment for cholesterol is niacin. The use of niacin predates the statins. Niacin is also known as nicotinic acid or vitamin B3. The name, niacin comes from nicotinic ac id and vitamin and was coined to avoid confusion and so that people would not think that the vitamin contained nicotine or that tobacco products contained vitamins. Niacin inhibits lipoprotein synthesis by preventing the secretion of very low density lipoprotein from the liver. Very low density lipoprotein is a precursor of low density lipoproteins (LDL). However there are several adverse side effects with niacin including flushing, warm skin, itching rash, constipation, nausea, hearthum, and problems with liver function. Because of these side effects, niacin is often used in a controlled release form [17] and even in this form is unsuitable for many patients. 

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