Dietary niacin and new-onset hypertension in Chinese adults
What it found
In a large group of Chinese adults followed over time, eating moderate amounts of niacin was linked to the lowest rate of new high blood pressure.
Both lower and higher intakes were linked to more new cases.
What they found
Studies in people
J-shaped link
The link between dietary niacin and new high blood pressure followed a J shape. The lowest rate of new cases was seen in people taking in 14.3 to under 16.7 mg per day.
Below the turning point
For each extra 1 mg per day of niacin in people taking in less than 15.6 mg per day, the rate of new high blood pressure fell by 2%.
Above the turning point
For each extra 1 mg per day of niacin in people taking in 15.6 mg per day or more, the rate of new high blood pressure rose by 3%.
Lowest and highest intakes
People taking in under 14.3 mg per day and those taking in 16.7 mg per day or more both had a higher rate of new high blood pressure than those in the middle range.
Subgroups
The J-shaped pattern held across groups split by age, sex, weight, smoking, drinking, blood pressure, and other diet factors. None of these factors clearly changed the pattern.
What the authors conclude
“In summary, our study found a J-shaped association between dietary niacin intake and new-onset hypertension in the general population of Chinese adults, with an inflection point at about 15.6 mg/d and minimal risk observed at 14.3 to 16.7 mg/d of dietary niacin.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say their results provide some evidence for keeping dietary niacin intake at optimal levels for the primary prevention of hypertension.
- They note that if further confirmed, their data support maintaining optimal dietary niacin intake levels.
- They describe their results as hypothesis generating and say further confirmation in more studies is essential.
How it was done
The authors wanted to know whether niacin taken in through food is linked to the risk of developing high blood pressure, since most earlier work looked at high-dose supplements in high-risk patients rather than everyday diets.
They followed 12 243 Chinese adults from the China Health and Nutrition Survey for a median of 6.1 years. Food intake was recorded on 3 consecutive days in each survey round, and blood pressure was measured at follow-up visits.
What it can’t tell you
- This was an observational study, so it can show a link between niacin intake and new high blood pressure but cannot prove that niacin causes the change.
- The study did not include niacin made in the body from tryptophan, and it had no detailed information on supplement use.
- The findings are from Chinese adults living in China, so it is not known whether they apply to other populations.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by NICHD NIH HHS; FIC NIH HHS (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- Conflict of Interest Disclosures: None reported.
- Authors work at
- Southern Medical University, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Renal Failure Research, China; Anhui Medical University, China
The paper
- Title
- Evaluation of Dietary Niacin and New-Onset Hypertension Among Chinese Adults
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Zhang Z, Liu M, Zhou C, et al (2021). Evaluation of Dietary Niacin and New-Onset Hypertension Among Chinese Adults. JAMA network open. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.31669Free full textPubMed 33404619DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error