NAD+ therapy in age-related degenerative disorders: A benefit/risk analysis.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Systematic review composed predominantly of preclinical studies (113/147) and preliminary clinical reports without meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
PubMed 31917996 · doi:10.1016/j.exger.2020.110831
What was done
A systematic review was conducted across Medline, Embase, and PubMed to assess health and longevity benefits of raising NAD+ levels. Out of 1,545 screened records, 147 articles met inclusion criteria (113 preclinical and 34 clinical) assessing NAD+ and precursors including nicotinamide (NAM), nicotinamide riboside (NR), nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), and NADH.
What was found
The abstract reports study counts (147 total: 113 preclinical, 34 clinical) but does not provide quantitative pooled effect estimates. Most reviewed studies reported favorable outcomes on age-related conditions associated with oxidative stress, inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction, alongside a limited acute toxicity profile. Human clinical trials remained limited and nascent, with identified potential risks including toxic metabolite accumulation, tumorigenesis, and cellular senescence promotion.
Why it matters
This review maps the early clinical and preclinical landscape of NAD+ augmentation, highlighting the gap between promising animal efficacy and sparse long-term human clinical evidence.
Limits
The abstract does not report quantitative numerical effects or pooled statistical analyses. The included literature is heavily dominated by animal research (77%), and human studies were constrained by short durations and lack of long-term safety evaluation.
Cited by
- supports NAD levels decline with age and are reduced in individuals with chronic degenerative conditions.