Understanding CoQ10 and Statins
Controversy surrounds a class of drugs known as statins after extensive medical research revealed that they deplete the body’s ubiquinone, also known as Coenzyme Q10 or CoQ10. Learn more about CoQ10 and statins in this special report.
When it comes to taking medicines, “side effects” is one of the first “big words” that we learn as kids. As we grow old and become more acquainted with different health problems, so do we learn about hard-to-pronounce drug names, proper dosage, indication, contraindications, and the fact that all drugs always come with side effects. Part of a doctor’s professional fee goes to his/her expertise in weighing a drug’s side effects against its potency to cure us. Most of the time, this same expertise, combined with drug research and lobbying, is able to pull a harmful drug from the market. Statins are an exception to the rule. Despite numerous and extensive drug research – both ones that promote statins and warn against it – the medical community still can not reach a consensus on whether to treat it as boon or bane.
Part of that difficulty lies in the effectiveness of statins in helping people at risk of cardiovascular problems; another part lies in its effect on CoQ10 or ubiquinone – that ubiquitous substance present in every cell in our body. There’s no question that CoQ10 and statins are both important, but how important they are to a patient suffering from cardiovascular diseases caused by high cholesterol is a difficult matter to settle without adequate knowledge of what CoQ10 and statins are.
CoQ10 and Statins: Just the Facts
A host of diseases result when LDL (low density lipoprotein, aptly named “bad cholesterol”) hardens in the arteries (atherosclerosis) and clogs arteries in the brain (stroke) or the heart (angina or chest pain, coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, heart attack, and other cardiovascular diseases).
HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors – commonly known as statins – inhibit the production of cholesterol in the liver. Statins were sort of a miracle drug for the treatment and prevention of high cholesterol, reducing the risk of cardiac problems by 60% and stroke by 17%. For this reason, statins – particularly brand names Lipitor (artovastatin) and Zocor (simvastatin) – have been making the list of top 10 prescription drugs worldwide since 1999.
Statin side effects are mild, ranging from muscle and joint aches, to nausea, diarrhea or constipation. Serious side effects are rare but documented; the Mayo Clinic identified the following adverse side effects of statins: liver damage, muscle damage, digestive problems, rash or flushing, and potential neurological problems. Since statins are taken for life, doctors carefully assess their patients’ risk factors for developing these side effects.
However, no side effect is more damaging than statins’ effect on CoQ10.
Health Benefits of CoQ10
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Coenzyme Q10 or ubiquinone, along with its reduced form called ubiquinol, is a substance present in every cell in the body, helping produce energy at the cellular level. Organs that require high levels of energy such as the heart and the brain have high concentrations of CoQ10.
Clinical studies conducted worldwide on the correlation of CoQ10 and heart failure were remarkably consistent in their conclusion: when used with traditional medical treatments, CoQ10 is able to help treat heart problems and wean patients from their cardiovascular drug therapies.
At present, CoQ10 is being sold as a health supplement and high blood pressure medication. Prescribed CoQ10 dosage varies according to its targeted health issue:
CoQ10 deficiency = 150 mg. daily
Heart Failure = 100 mg. divided into 2-3 doses daily
High blood pressure = 120-200 mg. divided into 2 doses daily
Myocardial infarction = 120 mg. divided into 2 doses daily
It is also used for treating angina, congestive heart failure, diabetes, gum disease, breast cancer, muscular dystrophy, chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson’s Disease, Huntington’s disease, and Lyme Disease. CoQ10 is being tested as well for other health problems.
The bodies’ production of CoQ10 decreases with age, but this can easily be corrected with a CoQ10 supplement. A healthy dose of it can also be found in organ meats and certain vegetables. The body produces adequate amounts of CoQ10 for survival…unless you start taking statins.
Years of research by Dr. Peter H. Langsjoen – the world-renowned authority in Coenzyme Q10 and its role in treating heart diseases – revealed a new type of cardiovascular disease which he termed “Statin Cardiomyopathy”. This is caused by the depletion of CoQ10 in heart muscles which eventually lead to heart failure and death. Clinical studies support this claim, noting that statins are responsible in a significant drop of CoQ10 in patients taking statins as part of their medication.
Therein lies the contradiction: statins – drugs proven to improve heart problems caused by high cholesterol levels – eventually result in cardiomyopathy – another heart problem caused by extremely low levels of CoQ10.
CoQ10 and Statins: Addressing the side effects and deficiency
High cholesterol is just one of the many causes of heart problems – albeit a crucial one. Statins are important in correcting high cholesterol, but these deplete the heart’s natural supply of CoQ10. CoQ10 itself is a proven medication for heart problems. It seems like an impasse at first, but statins remain strong in the market despite their deleterious effects on the body’s CoQ10 levels because most doctors now take the middle ground between CoQ10 and statins.
Doctors who prescribe statins as part of their patients’ medication are now beginning to add CoQ10 supplements to their suggested drug therapy for cardiovascular diseases. Using CoQ10 and statins as part of a patients’ health regimen is relatively new, so research into the efficacy of this novel approach are still few. In the meantime, patients are advised to consult with their doctors first regarding the possibility of taking CoQ10 supplements alongside statins.
