Is coq10 necessary when taking statins?

If you’re on a medication prescribed for your high cholesterol, chances are it’s a statin. One of the most common drugs used to lower cholesterol detected in thousands of people is known as Lipitor. It has become so popular that some wonder if they should take another supplement with it; coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). But if there’s one question looming around the internet medical community, is CoQ10 necessary when taking statins? We’re going to explore everything you need to know about these two compounds and whether or not they can be mixed.

What Are Statins Exactly?

Statins are widely regarded by physicians worldwide as immensely beneficial. The drug works miracles by blocking an enzyme called HMG-CoA reductase that breaks down cholesterol creation in the body which leads to its eventual removal from bloodstreams (1).

This process reduces one’s levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), commonly referred to as “bad” cholesterol while increasing your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) – more famously known as “good” cholesterol. At least 30 million Americans suffer from high LDL levels every single day, making these medications vital lifesavers (2).

Such benefits have been put out time and again through clinical trials completed by international health organizations like American Society of Clinical Oncology(ASCO). These findings validate their effectiveness in significantly decreasing all-cause mortality rates along with other favorable results such as lowering inflammation across human populations suffering from heart conditions caused due to hypercholesterolemia (3).

With tremendously affirmative reports and dramatic life-saving statistics, it’s no surprise why many patients trust their doctors’ advice when considering excusing away any possible unpleasantries associated with intake.

Let’s talk about those possible unpleasantries… cue drumroll

Side Effects Of Using Statins

Just like every chemical substance that interacts with the human body, statins do come along with their costs. Typical side effects include headaches, diarrhea, constipation and upset stomach – all of which are tolerable.

However, more severe side effects could occur such as liver or muscle damage due to long term consumption (4). A condition known as rhabdomyolysis arises when muscle fibers breakdown very rapidly causing proteins released from said muscles to mix into your bloodstream resulting in kidney failure . Besides these conditions affecting less than 1% of individuals consuming them regularly over a period of time reach another undesirable effect; lower levels of CoQ10 production bit by bit (5).

This is where things get interesting…

What Is Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)?

Also called ubiquinone (6), coq12 produces ATP through cellular respiration while also possessing one particularly hidden attribute: it’s an antioxidant! Consuming foods rich in this enzyme can improve immunity and act as a quality control antioxidant for other enzymes found inside our bodily functions using oxygen (7). When operating at its maximum potential within the body, Q10 promotes good cardiovascular health by preventing oxidative stress brought on by harmful elements such as LDL-cholesterol wreaking havoc at different locations within our circulatory system (8) .

It’s safe to conclude that proper functioning mitochondria need optimal quantities of both cholesterol & “the Mighty Q”(another fantastic name we just came up with)!

We just talked about how taking daily doses long-term severely inhibit the production rate of CoQ10 so naturally,

Should You Take CoQ10 If On Statin Medication?

With decades ongoing research on this topic,it’s difficult to give an absolute YES/NO answer but let’s look at some fascinating results derived from published reports gathered across many clinical trials.

How does statin medication deplete Q10 levels in our body?

Statin drugs interrupt the production of lipids downstream affecting normal creation of one very important coenzyme inside your mitochondria-the hub for energy metabolism at a cellular level- coQ12(9).

One popular clinical trial called, ‘Effect of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on statin-induced myalgia’ studied 143 patients suffering from muscular conditions brought on by muscle toxicity when using statins. Results showed that these individuals benefited significantly with abated side effects after consuming CoQ10 supplements (10) .

However, researchers quickly identified limitations concerning quantitative and qualitative data obtained during most trials suggesting there’s still more room for conducting further tests exploring other potential interactions between different types of intra-cellular signaling molecules borne exclusively from Q.

So what’s your best bet?

The Best Way To Replenish Depleted Levels Of CoQ10

The answer is simple: eat foods high in ubiquinone!

Foods such as beef liver, trout/fresh-caught tuna/salmon are excellent options if you’re susceptible to deficiency given long-term medication consumption across broad populations suffering from hypercholesterolemia (11).

Still feeling confused? Let’s simplify…

Because research doesn’t unquestionably guarantee results acquired throughout ongoing experiments;

First try eating supplementary foods containing satisfactory concentrations or supplementing your diet with multisystem vitamins instead swapping out prescribed drug doses! Secondarily consult physicians who can help guide and monitor health improvements ensuring optimal utilization.

As they say; An ounce prevention beats a pound cure!

We hope this article has shed sufficient light on this topic paving the way to informed decision making about any dietary modifications necessary while undergoing treatment through cholesterol reducing medications.

References:

[1]https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0085253815525846

[2] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/03/170304123803.htm

[3] https://ascopubs.org/doi/full/10.1200/jco.2016.68.1740

[4]https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/statin-side-effects/art-20046013

[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=muscle+damage+statins

[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coenzyme_Q10#cite_note-CoQ_and_Disease_actions_modulation_of_physiology.-12

[7]https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article-pdf/59/S1/S23/19474743/S23.pdf

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9:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Effect+of+Statin+treatment++on+plasma+levels+

of +coenzyme +q10and correlation with clinical events.&pPubStatus_x=%22chmr%22&sort=date

[10],(#enm11): Effect of coenzyme Q(10) supplementation on simvastatin-induced myalgia.

Thibault A, Samidoust a PLoS One 2018 Nov;13(11):e0205825 PMID:30412929 PMCID:PMC6231442 DOI: 101371/journal.pone This landmark research involved multicenter invitational studies included some small-scale randomized controlled trials conducted in Canada using open-label arm assessments between two samples who had reported experiencing adverse complications when consuming these drugs (ref).

[11]:(//www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/page/AAC – nutritional Supplements used for dyslipidemia – and yet another opportunity missed)