Nicotinic acid
Niacin is a prescription medication used to lower cholesterol and fats (triglycerides) in the blood. It can also help raise the amount of HDL (good) cholesterol in the blood. Niacin should be used in conjuction with a low-fat and low-cholesterol diet. Niacin is also used to prevent and treat pellagra (niacin deficiency), a disease caused by inadequate diet and other medical problems. Niacin is a B-complex vitamin. At therapeutic doses, niacin is a cholesterol-lowering medication. Niacin, also known as nicotinic acid and vitamin B3, is a water soluble, essential B vitamin which, when given in high doses, is effective in lowering low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and raising high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, which makes this agent of unique value in the therapy of dyslipidemia. Statins are also found in the combination medications Advicor®** (lovastatin + niacin), Caduet®** (atorvastatin + amlodipine), and Vytorin™** (simvastatin + ezetimibe). This class of drugs works in the liver to prevent the formation of cholesterol, thus lowering the amount of cholesterol circulating in the blood. DRUG CLASS AND MECHANISM: Niacin (nicotinic acid, vitamin B3) is a part of the normal diet that is essential to various chemical reactions in the body. Uses. Niacin (nicotinic acid) is used to prevent and treat niacin deficiency (pellagra). Niacin deficiency may result from certain medical conditions (such as alcohol abuse, malabsorption syndrome, Hartnup disease), poor diet, or long-term use of certain medications (such as isoniazid). It is used medically to treat individuals with deficiency of niacin. Advanced deficiency of niacin can lead to a condition called pellagra in which individuals develop diarrhea, dermatitis (inflammation of the skin), and dementia. Niacin also is used to reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood.
http://www.rxwiki.com/niacin https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a682518.html http://livertox.nih.gov/Niacin.htm http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/PreventionTreatmentofHighCholesterol/Drug-Therapy-for-Cholesterol_UCM_305632_Article.jsp http://www.medicinenet.com/niacin/article.htm http://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-6142/nicotinic-acid-oral/details http://www.medicinenet.com/niacin/article.htm
what class of medication is niacin