Statin Drugs and Ubiquinol

HomeConsultationStatin Drugs and Ubiquinol
Written by Livewell Nutritionuk
June 12, 2023

Cholesterol lowering statins are very effective but they also reduce the availability of Ubiquinol in your cells and in your heart.

Statin drugs work by inhibiting your body’s internal production of cholesterol but they do not affect the cholesterol that you eat.

Unfortunately, they also deplete your natural Ubiquinol and other essential nutrients and vitamins.

How Ubiquinol Helps

Traditionally, Coenzyme Q10 has been one of the most popular heart health supplements used by people taking statin medications to lower their cholesterol.

Studies have shown Ubiquinol is the best way to restore healthy levels of total CoQ10 level if you are also taking statins.

Reduces Side Effects

he most common side effect of statins is myalgia (muscle pain). Studies have shown that deficiency of coenzyme Q10 may be related to deficiency of coenzyme Q10[2-4].

Research shows supplementing with Ubiquinol may help to reduce mild-to-moderate statin-related muscular pain[5].

Research has shown that Ubiquinol supplementation over a six month period can statistically, significantly reduce muscle pain and sensitivity by 53.8 percent. CoQ10 levels can also improve and in a particular study increased more than 194 percent[6].

Ubiquinol is the active and the most readily bio-available form of Coenzyme Q10. Thus, the potential for Ubiquinol to act as a direct response to help reduce statin related muscle pain is maximised.

References

  1. Harper CR, Jacobson TA: The broad spectrum of statin myopathy: from my­algia to rhabdomyolysis. Curr Opin Lipidol, 2007; 18: 401–8
  2. Wyman M, Leonard M, Morledge T: Coenzyme Q10: a therapy for hyper­tension and statin-induced myalgia? Cleve Clin J Med, 2010; 77: 435–42
  3. Marcoff L, Thompson PD: The role of coenzyme Q10 in statin-associated myopathy: a systematic review. J Am Coll Cardiol, 2007; 49: 2231–37
  4. Skarlovnik A, Janic M, Lunder M, Turk M, Sabovic M. Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation Decreases Statin-Related Mild-to-Moderate Muscle Symptoms: A Randomized Clinical Study. Med Sci Monit, 2014; 20:2183-2188.
  5. Lukas Zlatohlavek, Michal Vrablik, Barbora Grauova,Eva Motykova, Richard Ceska  The effect of coenzyme Q10 in statin myopathy, Neuroendocrinol Lett 2012; 33(Suppl.2):98–101;
  6. Cardiovascular disease kills one Australian every 12 minutes

[1] National Heart Foundation Chronic Heart Failure in Australia – http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/information-for-professionals/Clinical-Information/Pages/heart-failure.aspx

[2] Okamoto T. et al., (1989); Aberg F. et al., (1992); and Shindo Y. et al., (1994

[3] JACC Heart Fail. 2014 Sep 25. pii: S2213-1779(14)00336-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jchf.2014.06.008. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25282031

[4] JACC Heart Fail. 2014 Sep 25. pii: S2213-1779(14)00336-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jchf.2014.06.008. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25282031

[5] Bates A et al, Nursing and Health Sciences (2014).