Whole-blood NAD levels track cardiovascular disease but not chronological age

The extent to which whole-blood NAD levels are altered in human disease or ageing remains controversial. Here we conducted 1,340 measurements in 1,068 adults, and found that whole-blood NAD levels do not decline with age in healthy individuals; they remain stable in males and increase in females, but are reduced in chronic diseases, specifically cardiovascular disease and hypertension. These findings indicate that whole-blood NAD levels track cardiovascular disease rather than chronological age. As this research was not designed to investigate causality, these data do not provide direct evidence that NAD supplementation may serve as a treatment for cardiovascular disease or hypertension.