Effects of NAD(+) supplementation with oral nicotinamide riboside on vascular health and cognitive function in older adults with peripheral artery disease: Results from a pilot 4-week open-label clinical trial

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of NAD+, published as a clinical trial.

Together, these conditions exemplify the phenomenon of accelerated systemic vascular aging, highlighting the interconnections between vascular health and cognitive functions in the elderly.

This pilot trial investigated the potential of nicotinamide riboside (NR), a precursor of NAD+, to counteract age-related vascular and cognitive decline in individuals with PAD.

Who Took Part

The study group was 8 participants.

The age groups tagged for this paper are middle-aged adults, older adults and people over 80, both men and women.

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as pilot.

It is described as a pilot, a small early test of whether a larger NAD+ study would be practical.

The timeline in the abstract includes 4 weeks.

What Was Measured

Over 4 weeks, the researchers administered NR to 8 participants and measured its effects on peripheral endothelial function, functional cerebrovascular responses, and cognitive performance (NCT06534944).

Additionally, the researchers assessed the effects of circulating factors present in patient sera on oxidative stress and mitochondrial function in cultured cerebromicrovascular endothelial cells.

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Pilot Projects, Niacinamide, Cognition, NAD, Peripheral Arterial Disease, Dietary Supplements and Pyridinium Compounds.

Author keywords: Cerebrovascular health, Cognitive decline, Endothelial function, Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, Nicotinamide riboside and Peripheral artery disease.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a pilot study of NAD+ in 8 participants over 4 weeks.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The publication is from 2025 (The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics), a journal based in Netherlands.

More context: the NAD+ compound page, all human trials.