Yesterday I posted about cholesterol and heart disease. Cholesterol lowering drugs, such as statins (Lipitor/Atorvastatin, Lescol/Fluvastatin, Crestor/Rosuvastatin, Mevacor/Lovastatin, etc) are the standard intervention to address elevated cholesterol levels. Remember, cholesterol is important for the membranes of your cells, brain health, hormone production, bile production (which helps you digest fats) and vitamin D production. .
How do statins work? They inhibit an enzyme your liver uses to make cholesterol and many other substances. One of the consequences of this is that Statins deplete your body of CoQ10.
CoQ10 is important for energy production/mitochondrial function, helps with free radical damage, heart health and muscle function. Possible symptoms of CoQ10 depletion can be as vague as muscle weakness, memory issues/cognitive impairment, depression, muscles soreness, fatigue and even heart issues. These can be worsened with exercise! Low levels of CoQ10 have been linked to increased risk of cancer, diabetes, brain disorders, heart disease and more (which are all increased risks of Statin use). Although Statins can be an important intervention for certain situations, they are one of the most over prescribed drugs on the market. 1 in 4 people over the age of 45 is on a statin.
1 in every 4 deaths in the US is due to heart disease and it is the leading cause of death in this country for both men and women. Diet/supplement interventions are very effective in improving lipid panels and heart disease. Maybe we should take a different approach since the current standard of care doesn't seem to be working!