It is well known that while statins block the production of cholesterol, they also block the body's own production of Coenzyme Q10, an important player in energy production. As recently as 2007, some doctors argued that although that may occur, it's really not a big deal. This illogical reasoning was balanced by rational voices that raised concern and pointed to the possibility of CoQ10 deficiencies causing muscle pain. If you dig deep into this issue, you'll find that 2 sides are shouting at the other..
.
"Statins cause muscle pain!"
"No- they don't!"
"Yes they do!"
"No they don't!"
Folks- whether or not it directly causes muscle pain is not the issue. The issue is that CoQ10 levels go down. This is bad. CoQ10 levels are associated with:
1. Parkinson's disease Neurosci Ltrs 2008 Dec 5;447(1):17-9. Epub 2008 Sep 30
2. Cerebellar ataxia Cerebellum 2007;6(2):118-22.
3. Diabetes Nutrition Research 2008 Feb;28(2):113-21.
4. Breast, Lung, Pancreatic, Skin Cancers J. Amer Acad of Derm 2006 Feb;54(2):234-41.
5. Allergies Allergy 2002 Sep;57(9):811-4.
... and many more problems. Perhaps you don't experience muscle pain while on your statin. For this reason, many physicians are unwilling to say you should be on CoQ10. Muscle pain is a "red herring." There are bigger problems with statins as listed above.
But specifically for the heart....how important is CoQ10? A 2008 study showed that in patients who already had heart disease, it was an independent predictor of mortality. In other words, the less CoQ10 you have, the more likely you are to die.
If you are on a statin, you should be taking Coenzyme Q10.
."Statins cause muscle pain!"
"No- they don't!"
"Yes they do!"
"No they don't!"
Folks- whether or not it directly causes muscle pain is not the issue. The issue is that CoQ10 levels go down. This is bad. CoQ10 levels are associated with:
1. Parkinson's disease Neurosci Ltrs 2008 Dec 5;447(1):17-9. Epub 2008 Sep 30
2. Cerebellar ataxia Cerebellum 2007;6(2):118-22.
3. Diabetes Nutrition Research 2008 Feb;28(2):113-21.
4. Breast, Lung, Pancreatic, Skin Cancers J. Amer Acad of Derm 2006 Feb;54(2):234-41.
5. Allergies Allergy 2002 Sep;57(9):811-4.
... and many more problems. Perhaps you don't experience muscle pain while on your statin. For this reason, many physicians are unwilling to say you should be on CoQ10. Muscle pain is a "red herring." There are bigger problems with statins as listed above.
But specifically for the heart....how important is CoQ10? A 2008 study showed that in patients who already had heart disease, it was an independent predictor of mortality. In other words, the less CoQ10 you have, the more likely you are to die.
If you are on a statin, you should be taking Coenzyme Q10.
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