Benefits of niacin in patients with versus without the metabolic syndrome and healed myocardial infarction (from the Coronary Drug Project).

This post hoc analysis from the Coronary Drug Project (CDP) evaluated the effects of niacin monotherapy on clinical outcomes in patients with and without the metabolic syndrome (MS). The CDP was a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial of lipid-modifying agents in men with previous myocardial infarction (MI). Of the 5 drug regimens, only niacin significantly decreased definite recurrent nonfatal MI at 6 years and total mortality at a 15-year follow-up.

Benefits of niacin by glycemic status in patients with healed myocardial infarction (from the Coronary Drug Project).

The Coronary Drug Project, conducted during 1966 to 1974, was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 5 lipid-modifying agents in 8,341 men with previous myocardial infarction. Among the 5 drug treatment regimens, only niacin significantly reduced the risk of (1) cardiovascular events during a mean follow-up of 6.2 years and (2) total mortality during 6.