06 Dec Did You Know?
Did you know that statins, cholesterol reducing prescription medications, block the production of a vital health protector and energy transport enzyme in every single cell in our bodies?
If you are taking one of the prescribed statins, such as Atorvastatin (Lipitor), Rosuvastatin (Crestor), Simvastatin (Zocor), and Pravastatin, a drug prescribed to children, you are at a risk of being deficient in Ubiquinol or Coenzyme Q10.
In the United States, statins are one of the most prescribed medicines, over 40 million people in the United states take statins, which has doubled since 2013, only 11 years ago, since the American Health Association Guidelines recommended standards based on prior research.
Like all ingenious technologies, medications serve their purpose when medically necessary and prescribed accurately. Fortunately, the latest research has changed these guidelines, reducing more than 17 million patients from the eligibility list. Check with your doctor to monitor your current blood levels.
Statins are a class of drugs that are designed to block HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme necessary for cells to intake cholesterol, which subsequently is released into the blood. This waxy cholesterol substance can adhere to walls of arteries causing blockage and plaqing, leading to reduced blood flow, less oxygen transport to organs, fatigue and, more seriously, a clot or embolism. HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, also known as statins, block this enzyme, hence, preventing cholesterol from entering the cell and the blood.
Like most medicines, the desired action is not the only action. Statins also reduce the synthesis of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), also known as Ubiquinol. CoQ10 has many functions in the body such as: 1. as an antioxidant that protects cellular damage, 2. as a coenzyme for the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP)- the energy that powers every cell 3. as a protector of cellular membrane integrity to prevent infection, maintain transport of nutrients and cell signaling.
Ubiquinol is present in all cells of the body and may decrease with age and medications such as statins. Weighing the pros and cons of any medication is an absolute must for doctors and patients, and doctors are required to present and discuss all options and effects, including side effects, relative to any drug recommendations. Negative effects of statins are often related to myopathies, or muscle cell changes. If cell signaling across the membrane is altered or coenzyme Q10 cannot be utilized for energy production, then muscle cells become strained or damaged leading to the pain, cramping and weakness associated with many statins.
Staying healthy is a matter of maintaining your body’s ability to confront and conquer any adverse conditions or stresses, whether mental, physical or chemical, it is exposed to. As for those taking statins, please consider ensuring each cell of your body, especially of your heart and cardiovascular system, is saturated with adequate amounts of CoQ10 daily with a high grade non artificial supplement. The recommended dosage is 100mg (optional 200 mg) each morning, once per day. (Always speak with your doctor if you are unsure about interactions with other medications before taking any supplements.)
–by Dr. Robert Lieb, DC
Dr. Robert Lieb, DC, is a Doctor of Chiropractic and Nutritional medicine with offices in Pawling and Somers, NY. Any questions regarding this article can be sent to li****************@***il.com or by calling (845) 855-1100, (914) 276-4200.
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