Walk Pain-Free with Peripheral Artery Disease
If you have peripheral artery disease (PAD), walking can be painful.
That’s because with PAD, you have reduced blood flow to your legs, which causes leg pain, weakness, cramping, coldness, and more.
The best ways to treat PAD include lifestyle changes like diet, exercise, and weight management. In severe cases, your doctor may prescribe medication to reduce the risk of complications.
However, researchers have just identified an easier, more natural way for people suffering from PAD to walk pain-free.
In a recent study, 90 patients with peripheral artery disease took one of three treatments:
- 1,000 mg per day of nicotinamide riboside (a naturally occurring form of vitamin B3)
- Nicotinamide riboside plus resveratrol (125 mg)
- Placebo
At the beginning and end of the study, researchers measured how long the participants could walk for 6 minutes without discomfort.
After six months, people who took nicotinamide riboside saw an average improvement of 57 feet in their walking distance.
Those who consistently took their supplements had even better results—adding over 100 feet in walking distance.
These are considered statistically significant improvements.
In those who didn’t take the supplements, walking distance actually declined.
And adding resveratrol didn’t lead to any greater improvements, highlighting that the nicotinamide riboside alone was responsible for the benefits.
The researchers don’t know precisely why it works so well, but what we DO know is that nicotinamide riboside can ease arterial stiffness and reduce blood pressure while boosting cellular energy.
Because of that, it could be beneficial for anyone—not just people with PAD.
But if you DO have peripheral artery disease, nicotinamide riboside could be a promising way to reduce your symptoms.
P.S. PAD isn’t the only disease nicotinamide riboside could help with. CLICK HERE to discover how this potent nutrient could also help folks with Parkinson’s.
SOURCE:
McDermott, M. M., et al., (2024). Nicotinamide riboside for peripheral artery disease: The NICE randomized clinical trial. Nature Communications, 15(1), 1-11.
