Study: NMN strengthens grip strength in older patients with diabetes

Study: NMN Enhances Grip Strength in Elderly Patients with Diabetes

Summary of Results:

NMN supplementation proved to be safe and well-tolerated, with no serious adverse effects reported. It contributed to improvements in the prevalence of vulnerability and central retinal thickness in elderly men. Although there were positive trends in enhanced grip strength and walking speed, these did not reach statistical significance, likely due to the study's limited sample size.

Summary of Research:

Research Objective: Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) plays a crucial role in regulating various biological processes. Animal studies have demonstrated that nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) increases intracellular levels and counteracts age-related changes. This study aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of oral supplementation with nicotinamide mononucleotide in elderly patients with diabetes and reduced physical performance.

Method: This 24-week study conducted a placebo-controlled, double-blind trial in male patients with diabetes aged ≥65 years, who had reduced grip strength (<26 kg) or walking speed (<1.0 m/s). The primary objectives were to determine the safety of oral NMN administration (250 mg/day) and its effect on grip strength and walking speed. Secondary objectives included investigating changes in various exploratory indicators.

Results: Fourteen participants, with a mean age of 81.1 ± 6.4 years, were included in the study. NMN was well-tolerated without any serious adverse effects. There were no significant differences observed in the changes in grip strength and walking speed between the NMN group and the placebo group: 1.25 kg (95% confidence interval -2.31 to 4.81) and 0.033 m/s (-0.021 to 0.087) in the NMN group, and -0.44 kg (-4.15 to 3.26) and 0.014 m/s (-0.16 to -0.13) in the placebo group, respectively. There were also no significant differences observed in any of the exploratory indicators between the two groups. However, there was a trend towards improved vulnerability prevalence in the NMN group (P = 0.066) and various changes in central retinal thickness between the two groups (P = 0.051).

Conclusion: In elderly male patients with diabetes and reduced physical performance, NMN supplementation for 24 weeks was safe but did not lead to improvements in grip strength and walking speed. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2023; 23: 38-43.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36443648/