COQ10 - Cardioligist advice

[darock_sayz]

Hello,
I'm taking 10mg lipitor, 28 years old and went to see a cardiologist because of family history. I asked him about COQ10 and his response was that there is no substainated medical study to prove its effectiveness, kind of like the vitamen E myth. So, he was against reccomending it.

Perhaps, he is towing the medical community line....just wanted to know what other people's doctors have told them and would it be wrong to go against his advice ? He did not say don't take, just won't endorse it.

thanks

[ZippyDawg]

Atorvastatin Reduces Blood CoQ10 Levels

Laurie Barclay, MD

June 22, 2004 — Atorvastatin substantially reduces blood coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) levels, according to the results of a prospective blinded study published in the June issue of the Archives of Neurology. The investigators speculate that this may underlie some of the adverse effects, and they suggest that supplements may be appropriate.

"Statins (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors) are widely used for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia and coronary heart disease and for the prevention of stroke," write Tatjana Rundek, MD, from Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons in New York City, and colleagues. "There have been various adverse effects, most commonly affecting muscle and ranging from myalgia to rhabdomyolysis. These adverse effects may be due to a [CoQ10] deficiency because inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis also inhibits the synthesis of CoQ10."

At the stroke center of an academic tertiary care hospital, the investigators enrolled 34 subjects eligible for statin treatment according to National Cholesterol Education Program: Adult Treatment Panel III criteria.

At baseline, mean blood concentration of CoQ10 was 1.26 ± 0.47 µg/mL. This decreased to 0.62 ± 0.39 µg/mL after 30 days of atorvastatin therapy (P < .001). A significant decrease was already detectable after 14 days of treatment (P < .001).

The most common adverse effects were flatulence and constipation, which were usually transient. There were no complaints of myalgia, weakness, or other severe adverse effects. One subject experienced weakness and tingling in the legs, which disappeared two days after reducing the dose of atorvastatin calcium to 40 mg per day.

"Even brief exposure to atorvastatin causes a marked decrease in blood CoQ10 concentration," the authors write. "Widespread inhibition of CoQ10 synthesis could explain the most commonly reported adverse effects of statins, especially exercise intolerance, myalgia, and myoglobinuria."

The authors note that this study did not evaluate tissue levels of CoQ10. "Despite this limitation, our findings raise the possibility of a widespread inhibition of CoQ10 synthesis in patients treated with atorvastatin," the authors write. "Given the many patients exposed to relatively high doses of this drug and the persistent occurrence of adverse effects related to statins, it may be reasonable to add CoQ10 in patients receiving long-term treatment with statins in general, and atorvastatin in particular. This recommendation is strengthened by the general experience that oral CoQ10 — even in high doses — is well tolerated by patients."

Pfizer Inc., the Hazel K. Goddess Fund, and the Muscular Dystrophy Association supported this study. One of the authors has received honoraria for lecturing and consulting from Pfizer Inc.

Arch Neurol. 2004;61:889-892

Reviewed by Gary D. Vogin, MD



[url]http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=A bstract&list_uids=15210526[/url]

[heart44]

Originally Posted by darock_sayz

... went to see a cardiologist because of family history. I asked him about COQ10 and his response was that there is no substainated medical study to prove its effectiveness... So, he was against recommending it.

Merck applied for a patent in 1989 for a combination drug of a statin with CoQ10. You might want to print this and show it to your doctor.
And yes, they are just sitting on the patent all this time, allowing everyone to take statins and not informing us that we need CoQ10 supplements.
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United States Patent 4,933,165
Brown June 12, 1990
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Coenzyme Q.sub.10 with HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors
Abstract
A pharmaceutical composition and method of counteracting HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor-associated myopathy is disclosed. The method comprises the adjunct administration of an effective amount of a HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor and an effective amount of Coenzyme Q.sub.10.
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Inventors: Brown; Michael S. (Dallas, TX)
Assignee: Merck & Co., Inc. (Rahway, NJ)
Appl. No.: 298535
Filed: January 18, 1989
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You can search for US Patents at: http://patft.uspto.gov/netahtml/srchnum.htm

[Lenin]

My theory is that if the suspected substance is cheap and safe, might as well take it. Thus I do.

[Jack51]

Merck, the makers of Zocor, has a patent on a combination statin/coq-10 medicine. I cannot provide a reference for this right now, but I might could search for it. This only shows that Merck is ready and waiting for the medical world to declare that beyond a doubt, folks who take statins, need to also take coq-10.