Tests niacin for fat buildup in the liver
Tests niacin against a placebo in adults with fatty liver disease.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Stimulating Fat Tissue Storage With Niacin to Reduce Fat Accumulation in the Liver.
Key facts
- Where
- Sherbrooke, CanadaSee the site
Could this be for you?
Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.
- Are you between 20 and 80 years old?
Source: NCT06843148, who can take part
Where in Canada
- Centre de recherche du CHUSSherbrooke, CanadaTaking people
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- Université de Sherbrooke
- Trial code
- NCT06843148
- Record updated
- 2 July 2026
- Original description
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) (aka non-alcoholic fatty liver disease), commonly occurring in individuals with obesity and type 2 diabetes can lead to liver inflammation/ fibrosis. MASLD results from fat being disproportionately deposited in the liver.Read full original descriptionShow less
Stimulating Adipose Tissue Fatty Acid Disposal With Low-dose, Postprandial, Intermittent Niacin for the Treatment of Metabolic Dysfunction-associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD).
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) (aka non-alcoholic fatty liver disease), commonly occurring in individuals with obesity and type 2 diabetes can lead to liver inflammation/ fibrosis. MASLD results from fat being disproportionately deposited in the liver.
The goal of this mechanistic study is to investigate metabolic response in patients aged 20 to 80 years with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, after niacin (vitamin B3) treatment.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
* Does Niacin lower the fat deposition in the liver? * Does Niacin raise White Adipose Tissue storage of dietary fatty acids?
Researchers will compare Niacin to a placebo (a look-alike substance that contains no drug) to compare the metabolic response.
Duration of study per participant: Up to 28 weeks
Inclusion: aged 20 to 80 years; diagnosed with MASLD, defined as the presence of liver steatosis + abdominal obesity (as defined by the International Diabetes Federation country/ethnic group-specific criteria.
Exclusion: Any contraindication to MRI. 6) Previous intolerance or allergy to nicotinic acid. 7) Having participated to a research study with exposure to radiation in the last two years before the start of the study; Being allergic to eggs 9) Smoking (>1 cigarette/day) and/or consumption of >2 alcoholic beverages per day; Presence of advanced fibrosis using any of the following criteria 1.1 (i.e., ≥ F3 based on liver stiffness > 10kPa) using vibration-controlled transient elastography (FibroScan), 1.2 (Index for Liver Fibrosis > 2.67) using Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) which is a calculated score based on age and a combination of lab tests (aspartate aminotransferase [AST], alanine aminotransferase [ALT], and platelet count), 1.3 serum ALT > 3 times the normal upper limit, 1.4 or signs of portal hypertension. 2) Other hepatic disease. 4) Overt cardiovascular or renal disease, cancer (other than non-melanoma skin cancer), or other uncontrolled medical conditions; Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.