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Meta-Analysis
. 2024 Oct 23;16(21):3604.
doi: 10.3390/nu16213604.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on the Association Between Daily Niacin Intake and Glaucoma

Constantin Alin Nicola  1 , Maria Cristina Marinescu  2 , Anne Marie Firan  3 , Mihaela Simona Naidin  4 , Radu Constantin Ciuluvica  5 , Maria Magdalena Rosu  6 , Andreea-Daniela Meca  7 , Maria Bogdan  7 , Adina Turcu-Stiolica  4
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on the Association Between Daily Niacin Intake and Glaucoma

Constantin Alin Nicola et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Background: Glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy, characterised by a complex pathophysiology, with mitochondrial dysfunction playing a significant role in the cellular damage and apoptosis of ganglion cells. Niacin is a precursor to several molecules acting as coenzymes in the mitochondrial production of ATP, in DNA repair and in the reduction of reactive oxygen species. The objective of this systematic review is to assess the impact of daily niacin intake on glaucoma.

Methods: Case-control and cohort studies regarding niacin and glaucoma, indexed in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane and Scopus, were included. Other study methodologies, studies regarding niacin in other ocular disease or other nutrients in glaucoma were excluded. Bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The study protocol was registered in the PROSPERO database (no. CRD42024578889).

Results: Five case-control studies were included. In the pooled analysis, a significantly higher proportion of patients with high niacin consumption was found in the group without glaucoma compared to those with glaucoma as defined by ISGEO criteria (p-value < 0.00001; OR = 0.66, 95% CI 0.55-0.79) or as defined by retinal imaging (p-value = 0.02; OR = 0.63, 95% CI 0.43-0.94).

Conclusions: Daily dietary intake of niacin is significantly lower in patients with glaucoma compared to the general population. Given different average daily intakes of niacin in these populations, different glaucoma definitions and several confounding variables which weaken the associations, large sample, standardised randomised controlled trials are needed to confirm the potential benefits of niacin in glaucoma.

Keywords: glaucoma; niacin; vitamin B3.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA flow chart of the study selection.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Forest plot of the studies included in the meta-analysis of the association between daily niacin consumption and glaucoma using retinal imaging as glaucoma diagnosis of patients. (A) Q1 quartile; (B) Q2 quartile; (C) Q3 quartile; (D) Q4 quartile [27,28].
Figure 3
Figure 3
Forest plot of the studies included in the meta-analysis of the association between daily niacin consumption and glaucoma using ISGEO criteria for glaucoma diagnosis of patients. (A) Q1 quartile; (B) Q2 quartile; (C) Q3 quartile; (D) Q4 quartile [25,27].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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