CClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT01984073NOFATUpdated Jul 9, 2020

Effects of Niacin On Fatty Acid Trapping

A Phase 1 interventional study of ER Niacin Oral Fat Challenge and IR Niacin Oral Fat Challenge in Dyslipidemia, sponsored by University of Pennsylvania. Completed at 2 sites in United States. Open to participants aged 22 Years to 75 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2020-07-09.

Sponsored by University of Pennsylvania · Phase 1, Interventional, and Other

Phase
Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
26
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
22 Years to 75 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The purpose of this study is to understand whether a vitamin called NIcotinic ACid vitamIN (NIACIN for short, also known as vitamin B3) helps the body process dietary fat more efficiently. This is important because people with dyslipidemia have a problem with how they process fat, which raise the risk of heart disease.

Read the detailed description

This study includes three phases, which each have a separate purpose. At this time, we are only recruiting for Phase 2. The purpose of this particular phase is to measure the effects of niacin after drinking a glass of heavy cream as a source of fat. We hope that studying the way the body responds will help us better understand how niacin works.

In this study, we are interested in niacin's ability to lower triglycerides, or fat in the blood. We are studying two different forms of niacin and comparing them to each other. The two forms differ in how long they take to release niacin into the bloodstream. The first form is called Nialor, and is sometimes called immediate-release niacin because it is absorbed into the bloodstream quickly. The second form is called Niaspan, and is sometimes called extended-release niacin because it is a time-released spansule that takes longer to get into the bloodstream. We are comparing the two forms because we think that the time that it takes to absorb niacin may affect how it works. We also want to understand one of the common effects of niacin: skin flushing. Most people who take niacin experience flushing, which is a hot flash. In this study, we are studying whether the two forms of niacin cause different degrees of flushing. Niaspan is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat unfavorable cholesterol levels and prevent heart attacks in those who have already suffered heart attacks. Nialor is available over the counter as a supplement and contains Silymarin (milk thistle) and Policosanol (an extract from sugar cane) in addition to niacin.

02

Conditions studied

  • Dyslipidemia

Browse trials for

Keywords

  • Atherogenic dyslipidemia phenotype
03

In context

Dyslipidemias

1,073 studies on the registry are indexed under Dyslipidemias; 158 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 26 is below the median of 99 across 842 interventional studies indexed under Dyslipidemias.

Browse Dyslipidemias studies →

Lead sponsor

University of Pennsylvania is the lead sponsor of 1,635 studies on the registry; 239 are open to participants now.

Of its 154 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 104 (68%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
22 Years to 75 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Meet protocol defined criteria for atherogenic dyslipidemia phenotype
  • Men and non-pregnant, non-lactating women between the ages of 22 and 75
  • Fasting triglycerides \<500 mg/dL
  • Ability to understand and agree to informed consent
  • Willingness to comply with study-related procedures

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Dysbetalipoproteinemia
  • History of extreme triglyceridemia (TG >500 mg/dL) or pancreatitis from triglyceridemia, regardless of whether it is currently controlled
  • LDL >190 mg/dL
  • History of chronic renal insufficiency (serum creatinine >2.0 mg/dL)
  • History of non-skin malignancy within the previous 5 years
  • Subject reported history of HIV
  • Uncontrolled thyroid disease
  • Hypoalbuminemia (serum albumin >2.5 mg/dL)
  • Exposure to an investigational drug within 6 weeks prior to the screening visit
  • Any major active rheumatologic, pulmonary, or dermatologic disease or inflammatory condition
  • Major surgery within the previous 6 weeks
  • Subjects who have undergone any organ transplant
  • History of drug abuse within the past 3 years, or regular alcohol use >14 drinks per week
  • Women who are breast-feeding
  • Women who are pregnant by urine pregnancy test at each visit
  • Serious or unstable medical or psychological conditions that, in the opinion of the investigator, would compromise the subject's safety or successful participation in the study
  • Change in statin dose within 6 weeks of the first experimental visit
  • Use of the following non-statin lipid-altering therapy within 6 weeks of the first experimental visit: Niacin > 100 mg/day (Niacor, Slo-Niacin, Niaspan, Advicor, or supplemental niacin), Fibrates [gemfibrozil (Lopid), fenofibrate (Antara, Lofibra, Tricor, Triglide)], Enterically active drugs [colestipol (Colestid), cholestyramine (Questran), colesevelam (Welchol), ezetimibe (Zetia, Vytorin)], Red yeast rice, Fish oil (Omacor, numerous supplements)
  • Use of medications indicated for the treatment of diabetes within 6 weeks of the screening visit
  • Known intolerance or contraindication to niacin (e.g., moderate to severe gout, severe peptic ulcer disease)
  • Medical condition that would prohibit fasting (e.g., diagnosis of insulinoma or postabsorptive hypoglycemia)
  • Significant disinclination to dairy products (e.g., lactose intolerance, inviolable dietary restrictions)
  • History of anaphylactic reaction
  • For indocyanine green substudy: iodine allergy or shellfish allergy (n.b. a subject with an allergy can participate in the overall experiment, but will forego the indocyanine green tracer study)
  • Donation of blood 8 weeks and/or treatment with medications for psychiatric disorders
  • Hemoglobin \<10 g/dL
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 1
Primary purpose
Other
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Crossover assignment
Masking
Quadruple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
26 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    ER Niacin Oral Fat Challenge

    ER Niacin (Niaspan) 2000mg one hour prior to Oral Fat Challenge using fresh cream at a dose of 50 g fat per square meter of body surface area. This is followed by frequent plasma and urine collections for next 12 hours to assess markers of fat metabolism and inflammation.

    Drug: ER Niacin Oral Fat Challenge

  • Active comparator
    IR Niacin Oral Fat Challenge

    Immediate-Release Niacin (Nialor) 500 mg one hour prior to Oral Fat Challenge and again 1, 3 and 5 hours after the oral fat load for a total dose of 2 grams.Subjects will undergo plasma and urine collections for 12 hours to assess markers of fat metabolism and inflammation.

    Drug: IR Niacin Oral Fat Challenge

  • Placebo comparator
    Placebo Oral Fat Challenge

    Placebo one hour before and 1,3, and 5 hours after oral fat load using heavy cream at 50 grams of fat per square meter of body surface area. Plasma and urine collections for 12 hours

    Other: Placebo Oral Fat Challenge

Interventions

  • DrugER Niacin Oral Fat Challenge

    Extended release niacin 2000 mg at hour 0, followed by oral fat challenge at hour 1.

    Also known as: Niaspan

  • DrugIR Niacin Oral Fat Challenge

    Nialor(R) 500mg or Placebo at hour 0, 2, 4, and 6. Oral fat challenge at hour 1 (one hour after first dose of immediate-release niacin)

    Also known as: Nialor

  • OtherPlacebo Oral Fat Challenge

    Placebo at hour 0. Oral fat challenge at hour 1, followed by placebo at hours 2,4,and 6

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Plasma Triglycerides

    Plasma Triglycerides (TGs) after oral fat challenge will be measured to assess post-prandial lipidemia after niacin and placebo. Parameters of interest are the area under the curve (AUC), time to peak (t-max), and peak concentration (c-max). The relevant units will be mg.h/dl for plasma triglyceride AUC, minutes for time to peak plasma TG and mg/dl for c-max.

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 hour post dose

07

Study locations

2 sites
  • Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
  • Presbyterian Hospital
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jul 9, 2020, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01984073
Lead sponsor
University of Pennsylvania
Collaborators
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), Arizona Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Responsible party
Richard Dunbar (Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania) — Principal investigator
First posted
Nov 14, 2013
Start date
Dec 2012
Primary completion
Dec 2019
Completion
Dec 2019
Last update
Jul 9, 2020

Study contacts

Richard L Dunbar, MD
principal investigator · University of Pennsylvania

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Jul 2020. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Start the discussion