In the decade between 1992 and 2002, statin use rose from 47 percent to 87 percent of the drugs prescribed to treat elevated cholesterol, according to the May 2005 issue of the journal PLoS One. Statins remain a popular prescription for lowering cholesterol. However, one of the side effects of statins is the depletion of the antioxidant coenzyme Q10. The relationship between statins and coenzyme Q10 deficiency has been the subject of considerable research.
CoQ10 Supplementation
The University of Maryland Medical Center cautions that statin drugs may lower your coenzyme Q10 levels and recommends supplementing with 150 mg to 200 mg of coenzyme Q10 per day in the evening. Continue this for four weeks if you discontinue statin use to ensure optimal levels. Muscles consume significant amounts of the energy-producing compound and one of the most frequent signs of CoQ10 depletion is muscle aches and pains. In some cases, muscle damage, known as rhabdomyolisis, can occur. This condition involves the breakdown of muscles fibers and the release of their contents into the bloodstream, causing stress on the kidneys to filter the muscle tissue components out of the blood.
Common Side Effect
Muscle pain, or myopathy, from statin use affects up to 15 percent of patients, according to a study published in the September 2010 issue of the journal "Current Atherosclerosis Reports." Scientists have discovered genetic links responsible for statin myopathy in some people. Evidence of the effectiveness of coenzymeQ10 for relieving statin myopathy is limited, say the researchers. As an alternative or additional strategy for reducing stain myopathy, longer-acting statins can be taken at a low dose, on alternate days or twice weekly.
Oxidative Stress
Increased oxidative stress can result when coenzyme Q10 levels are depleted from statin use, according to a study published in the February 2010 issue of the journal "Nutrition Research." In the study, patients took the drug atorvastatin for five months and showed significant decreases in cholesterol levels, along with decreased levels of vitamin E and CoQ10. However, when ratios of antioxidants to low density lipoprotein cholesterol were considered, the oxidative effect was negligible. The researchers concluded that atorvastatin reduces cholesterol without causing oxidative damage from CoQ10 depletion.
CoQ10 Depletion Rate
The same pathway that regulates the rate of cholesterol production is responsible for production of coenzyme Q10, according to a study published in the August 2008 issue of the "Journal of Clinical Lipidology." Statin drugs, which inhibit an enzyme in the pathway, therefore also inhibit production of CoQ10. In the study, patients without elevated cholesterol or cardiovascular disease took 80 mg of the cholesterol drug atorvastatin per day for 16 weeks. Those with higher starting levels of CoQ10 were more resilient to CoQ10 depletion, though, on average, levels of CoQ10 were depleted by 45 percent.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Possible Interactions with: Red Yeast Rice
- "Current Atherosclerosis Reports"; Evidence-based management of statin myopathy; Harper CR, et al.; 2010
- "Nutrition Research"; Atorvastatin increases blood ratios of vitamin E/low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and coenzyme Q10/low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic patients; Liu CS, et al.; 2010
- "Journal of Clinical Lipidology"; Plasma Coenzyme Q10 Predicts Lipid-lowering Response to High-Dose Atorvastatin; Pacanowski MA, et al.; 2008
- "PloS One"; National Trends in Statin Use by Coronary Heart Disease Risk Category; Jun Ma; May 2005
