Becoming heart healthy

There are two very important things you can do to help improve your heart health: exercise and change your diet. Your doctor may have already advised you to make lifestyle changes such as these. Exercise helps your body work better, makes you feel better physically and mentally, and lowers long-term health risks. And everyone can benefit from eating a healthy diet – one that is rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, beans and other fresh, simple foods that may help you manage your heart health.

Learn more about what you can do to improve heart healthy living, including:

• Understanding lifestyle changes – Talk to your doctor about a diet and exercise plan that is right for you.
• Understanding cholesterol – Learn the basics of cholesterol and what your cholesterol numbers mean.
• Knowing high cholesterol facts – Discover the risks of having high LDL cholesterol and how having high HDL cholesterol can make a difference.
• Understanding plaque buildup – Get the facts about coronary artery disease and treatment options.

When diet and exercise are not enough, NIASPAN, along with a heart healthy diet and exercise, significantly raises the level of HDL cholesterol – the good cholesterol that removes the excess cholesterol from the body. In fact, the active ingredient in NIASPAN (niacin) has also been shown to help lower the risk of another heart attack in patients with a prior history of heart attack and high cholesterol.

If diet and exercise have not been enough in managing your cholesterol levels, talk with your doctor about whether NIASPAN may be right for you.

Important Safety Information and Uses You Should Know About
NIASPAN^® (niacin extended-release tablets)

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

• NIASPAN is not for people with liver problems, stomach ulcers, serious bleeding problems, or those allergic to any product ingredient.
• Severe liver damage can occur when switching to a long-acting niacin (NIASPAN) from immediate-release niacin. All forms of niacin are not the same as NIASPAN. Do not switch between forms of niacin without talking to your health care provider.
• Tell your health care provider about any unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, as this could be a sign of a serious side effect. This risk may be increased when NIASPAN is taken with lovastatin or simvastatin, particularly in the elderly, diabetics and those with kidney or thyroid problems.
• NIASPAN is associated with increases in liver enzymes. Your health care provider should do blood tests before and during treatment with NIASPAN to check liver enzyme levels. NIASPAN should be used with caution if you consume large amounts of alcohol.
• Tell your health care provider if you have kidney problems, or a history of gout. NIASPAN may cause an increase in uric acid levels.
• NIASPAN may cause an increase in blood sugar levels. If you have diabetes, check your blood sugar levels more frequently during the first few months or with NIASPAN dose changes.
• The most common side effects include flushing, headache, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, increased cough, and itching.
• Flushing (warmth, redness, itching, and/or tingling of the skin) is a common side effect of niacin therapy that may subside after several weeks of consistent NIASPAN use. Flushing may vary in severity and is more likely to occur with initiation of therapy, or during dose increases. By dosing at bedtime, flushing will most likely occur during sleep. However, if awakened by flushing at night, you should get up slowly, especially if feeling dizzy, feeling faint, or taking blood pressure medications.
• If you are taking another cholesterol medication called a bile acid binding resin (e.g., colestipol) along with NIASPAN, take these medicines at least 4 to 6 hours apart.
• Some medicines should not be taken with NIASPAN. Tell your health care provider about all the medicines you take, including aspirin, any cholesterol medication, blood pressure medication, or anticoagulants, also known as blood thinners, or any products containing niacin or nicotinamide.

USES

NIASPAN^® (niacin extended-release tablets) is a prescription medication used along with diet when a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet and other non-drug measures alone have been unsuccessful.

• NIASPAN raises HDL ("good") cholesterol and lowers LDL ("bad") cholesterol and triglycerides in people with abnormal cholesterol levels.
• NIASPAN is also used to reduce the risk of recurrent heart attacks in people with abnormal cholesterol levels.
• NIASPAN can be used in combination with lovastatin or simvastatin to improve abnormal cholesterol levels when taking NIASPAN, simvastatin, or lovastatin alone is not enough.
• In people with coronary artery disease and abnormal cholesterol levels, NIASPAN, in combination with a bile acid binding resin (e.g., colestipol), is used to slow down or reduce atherosclerosis, the hardening of coronary arteries due to plaque buildup.
• No additional benefit of NIASPAN on heart disease has been demonstrated when used with simvastatin or lovastatin over that shown for niacin, simvastatin, or lovastatin alone.

For more information, talk with your health care provider.

Please see full Prescribing Information for NIASPAN and discuss it with your health care provider.

Reference: NIASPAN [package insert]. North Chicago, IL: Abbott Laboratories

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

If you cannot afford your medication, contact: www.pparx.org or call the toll-free phone number 1-888-4PPA-NOW (1-888-477-2669) for assistance.