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NCT03821623Active, not recruitingPhase 2

Nicotinamide Riboside for Treating Elevated Systolic Blood Pressure and Arterial Stiffness in Middle-aged and Older Adults

Nicotinamide Riboside Supplementation for Treating Elevated Systolic Blood Pressure and Arterial Stiffness in Middle-aged and Older Adults

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 2 Oct 2026

Brief summary (registry, in English)

Aging is the primary risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), the number one cause of death in developed societies. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) increase with age and is a key intermediary factor linking aging to increased CVD risk. The primary mechanisms underlying the age-associated increase in SBP is stiffening of the large elastic arteries, which is mediated by increases in oxidative stress, inflammation, and vascular smooth muscle tone. Regular caloric restriction is effective at lowering SBP in middle-aged and older adults; however, adherence to caloric restriction is poor and may be detrimental to normal weight older adults due to reduced skeletal muscle mass and bone mineral density. Therefore, identification of more practical alternative interventions that mimic the beneficial effects of caloric restriction, with stronger adherence and less risk of adverse consequences, is of significant biomedical importance. Nicotinamide riboside is a naturally occurring precursor of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), a critical mediator of the beneficial effects of caloric restriction, and therefore a novel caloric restriction mimetic compound. We recently completed the first pilot study of nicotinamide riboside supplementation in healthy middle-aged and older adults and demonstrated that 6 weeks of supplementation decreased systolic blood pressure (SBP) by 8 mmHg in individuals with baseline SBP of 120-139 mmHg (elevated SBP/stage 1 hypertension) compared with placebo, and lowered arterial stiffness, a strong independent predictor of CVD and related morbidity and mortality. As a next translational step, we will conduct a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial to further assess the safety and efficacy of oral nicotinamide riboside (3 months vs placebo) for decreasing SBP and arterial stiffness in middle-aged and older men and women with SBP between 120 and 139 mmHg at baseline.

Status (registry)
Active, not recruiting
Phase (registry)
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
118 (estimated)
First submitted
14 Jan 2019
Start date
10 May 2019
Primary completion date
1 Sept 2027
Lead sponsor
Douglas Seals
NCT number
NCT03821623

What you commit to

  • Study type: Interventional · Phase 2
  • Planned participants: 118
  • From 10 May 2019 to the primary completion date, 1 Sept 2027
  • 1 site in 1 country
  • Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them

Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.

Who cannot take part

Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.

Prior treatment

  • Currently taking antihypertensive medications
  • Uncontrolled thyroid disease or change in thyroid medication within previous 3 months

Other illness

  • Other chronic medical condition (e.g., diabetes, chronic kidney disease, cancer)

Other

  • Systolic blood pressure \<120 or \>/= 160 mmHg
  • Current smoker
  • Alcohol dependence or abuse
  • Abnormal blood pressure response to exercise (drop in SBP below resting pressure or SBP \>160 mmHg or DBP \>115 mmHg)
  • Regular vigorous aerobic/endurance exercise (\>4 bouts/weeks, \>30 min/bout at a workload \>6 METS)

Who the study is looking for

  • Ability to provide informed consent
  • Willing to accept random assignment to condition
  • Systolic blood pressure between 120 and 159 mmHg
  • Body mass index \<40 kg/m2
  • Weight stable in the prior 3 months (\<2 kg weight change) and willing to remain weight stable throughout the study
  • Absence of other clinical disease as determined by medical history, physical examination, blood chemistries, ankle-brachial index, and 12-lead ECG at rest and during graded treadmill exercise
    • Ankle-brachial index \>0.7
    • Total cholesterol \<240 mg/dL
    • Fasting plasma glucose \<126 mg/dL
    • Normal 12-lead ECG at rest and during graded treadmill exercise to fatigue

Age in the registry: 50 years to - · Sex: All · Accepts healthy volunteers

Full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov

Sites (1)

Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.

SiteCityCountrySite status
Integrative Physiology of Aging Laboratory
Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status
BoulderUnited StatesUnknown status

Related publications

This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.