Leading Cardiologist Urges Informed Choices When Reaching for a Dietary Supplement Niacin to Help Maintain Good Cholesterol Within the Normal Range

MAPLE GROVE, Minn., Oct. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading cardiologist, Dr. Carl Lavie, Medical Director, Cardiac Rehabilitation and Prevention at the John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute, New Orleans, LA, urges people seeking dietary supplement niacin to make informed choices when adding one to their daily health routine because some of them have not been clinically proven to support good cholesterol. 

"Cardiologists like me have been recommending dietary supplement Slo-Niacin^® for over two decades because it contains nicotinic acid, the form of dietary supplement niacin that is clinically proven to support good cholesterol," said Dr. Lavie.  "Dietary supplement niacins touted as 'flush-free' may sound more appealing for obvious reasons, but the fact is, they are not clinically proven to support good cholesterol, which is enough to make the educated consumer red in the face with anger, especially if they are taking one every day," added Dr. Lavie.

Although not all people experience flushing when taking niacin, it may occur with the use of nicotinic acid, which causes temporary vasodilation or widening of the blood vessels in the skin. Flushing symptoms are typically most intense with immediate-release nicotinic acid. Slo-Niacin's^® unique polygel^® controlled-release system gradually delivers nicotinic acid to the body and is designed to reduce the likelihood of flushing.

"Consumers need to read the label and look for nicotinic acid if they want a form of niacin that is clinically proven to support good cholesterol," said Dr. Lavie.  "The fact is that 'flush-free' dietary supplement niacins containing inositol hexaniacinate, inositol hexanicotinate, or nicotinamide, all have complex, scientific-sounding names but are simply not clinically proven to support good cholesterol, so examine the label carefully," added Dr. Lavie.

About Niacin and Good Cholesterol (HDL)

Niacin is a B vitamin that occurs naturally and aids in the function of the digestive system, skin, and nervous system and can help maintain high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or good cholesterol, within the normal range. HDL cholesterol is known as good cholesterol because it is thought to help move cholesterol out of the arteries and into the liver so the body can get rid of it. A normal level of HDL cholesterol in your blood is higher than 40 mg/dL. Nicotinic acid, a form of niacin, has been used since the 1950s to support healthy good cholesterol.

About Slo-Niacin^® Tablets

Slo-Niacin's^® unique polygel^® controlled-release system is not available in other dietary supplement niacin products and is designed to reduce the likelihood of flushing commonly associated with immediate-release niacin. At approximately $16 for one-hundred 500 mg tablets, Slo-Niacin^® Tablets are an affordable option to help support a healthy heart. To support individual heart health needs, Slo-Niacin^® Tablets are available in three strengths (250 mg, 500 mg, and 750 mg).

Slo-Niacin^® Tablets are manufactured by Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc., a trusted manufacturer of high-quality dietary supplement and prescription products since 1919. Over the last 20 years, more than 12 million bottles of Slo-Niacin^® Tablets have been sold.  Slo-Niacin^® Tablets are conveniently available at pharmacies and other retailers nationwide, without a prescription. For more information, coupons, and a store locator, visit www.Slo-Niacin.com.

About Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc.

Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc. is a privately held, U.S.-based company devoted to improving health and advancing wellness since 1919.  Upsher-Smith demonstrates its commitment to meeting the healthcare needs of its customers through developing, producing and marketing consumer and prescription products.  In addition to its strong heritage in generics, Upsher-Smith's branded businesses focus on women's health, dermatology and CNS therapeutic areas.  For additional information, visit http://www.upsher-smith.com.

Dr. Lavie consults on behalf of Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc.

Sources:

Data on File. Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc.; 2011.

Slo-Niacin product information. http://www.slo-niacin.com/about-slo-niacin/directions-for-use. Upsher-Smith Laboratories, 2011. Accessed July 17, 2012.  

Mayo Clinic Web site. http://mayoclinic.com. Accessed July 17, 2012.

NHLBI: National Cholesterol Education Program. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/ncep. Accessed July 17, 2012.

Harvard Health Lett. 2007;July:7. http://www.health.harvard.edu. Accessed July 17, 2012.

American Heart Association Web site. http://www.heart.org. Accessed April 8, 2011.

SOURCE Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc.