title: Safety and tolerability of  extended-release niacin  with  laropiprant.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Niacin is one of the oldest drugs used in the treatment of dyslipidemia. Previously its use has been limited because of excessive flushing. Now an agent laropiprant (LRP) has been developed, which blocks the flushing pathway. Therefore, it is time to collate available information to assess the safety and tolerability of combining niacin with LRP.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors searched PubMed and MEDLINE for literature published between January 2006 and July 2011, for safety and tolerability reports of extended-release niacin (ERN) with LRP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The addition of LRP to ERN, by reducing the side effect 'flushing', may enable lipidologists and physicians to use niacin more widely as part of lipid modification therapy, especially since the combination can be safely added to statins. However, it has to be accepted that the addition of LRP does not completely abolish flushing. The favorable safety profile supports the use of LRP to achieve higher therapeutic dosing of niacin.
authors: University of Manchester, School of Biomedicine, Cardiovascular Research Group, Core Technology Facility, 46, Grafton Street, Manchester, M13 9NT, UK.
authors: Rahul
authors: R
authors: Yadav
authors: See
authors: S
authors: Kwok
authors: Basil J
authors: BJ
authors: Ammori
authors: Basil
authors: B
authors: Issa
authors: Handrean
authors: H
authors: Soran
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004338:Drug Combinations; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000188:drug therapy; D005483:Flushing / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007211:Indoles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009525:Niacin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004338:Drug Combinations; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D007211:Indoles; C518174:MK-0524; D009525:Niacin