HEALTH NOTES

Co-Q-10 PART IV

Dr. Peter Langsjoen of East Texas University states that “the depletion of the essential nutrient co-Q-10 by the increasingly popular cholesterol lowering drugs, HMG-CoA-reductase inhibitors (statins) has grown from a level of concern to one of alarm.” He goes on to state “with ever higher statin potencies and doses, and with a steadily shrinking target LDL cholesterol, the prevalence and severity of Co-Q-10 deficiency are increasing noticeably.”

Dr. Langsjoen goes on to state that “we are currently in the midst of a congestive heart failure epidemic in the United States. . . . As physicians, it is our duty to be absolutely certain that we are not inadvertently doing harm to our patients by creating a widespread deficiency of a nutrient critically important to heart function.”

Another researcher, Dr. Flora Pettit at the University of Texas, Austin’s Bio-Chemical Institute, found that Co-Q-10 was effective in reversing cell toxicity in patients taking statin drugs. In a report released for the journal Drug, Metabolism and Drug Interactions, she states that “low levels of statins are toxic to human lymphocytes in cell cultures.” By adding Co-Q-10, these cell toxicities were reversed in some patients.

As always, I am attempting to impart information, not to give clinical recommendations. I always recommend that you consult your doctor before beginning any form of therapeutic nutritional supplementation. If he or she is not well versed in these issues, find one who is and discuss this with him/her. Please, do not take any actions on your own without first consulting your treating physician. While this information may be alarming to some of you who are considering statin drugs, the situation is not grave and can be compensated for by Co-Q-10 supplementation; however, this must be done under proper supervision.

I trust that this information has assisted you once again in gaining better control of your own health care. I have a few more pieces of information to impart regarding Co-Q-10 and its effects on your body in this series. I should be wrapping this up in my next article or two. I thank you for your readership and look forward to bringing you more cutting edge information.