They are widely prescribed as a solution for clogged arteries, but statin drugs actually accelerate coronary artery calcification, according to a new study.
Research published in the journal Clinical Pharmacology reveals that statins are more aptly described as “mitochondrial toxins” in that they impair normal muscle function in the heart and blood vessels by depleting the body of coenzyme Q10, also known as CoQ10.
An antioxidant that cells use for growth and maintenance, CoQ10 does not synthesize properly when a person takes statins as prescribed by doctors to prevent heart disease, which is said to be the leading cause of death in the United States.
Also vital for the production of ATP, the fundamental energy carrier in cells, CoQ10 is an absolutely vital component of heart health. Without it, ATP production is inhibited and the body is left with an energy deficit that the new study’s authors say “could be a major cause for heart muscle and coronary artery damage.”
“We believe that many years of statin drug therapy result in the gradual accumulation of mitochondrial DNA damage,” the authors write.
Cut the statins and take CoQ10 to optimize heart health
A 2008 study looked at 50 statin patients to identify side effects like fatigue and muscle pain that are common in people with ATP problems and insufficient CoQ10.
When these 50 were told to stop taking statins and to supplement with CoQ10 for 22 months, all of them saw major improvements in their symptoms. Fatigue, muscle pain, breathlessness, memory loss and nerve pain all decreased when statins were stopped and CoQ10 was started.
According to the researchers involved with that study, the side effects of statins “are far more common than previously published and are reversible with the combination of statin discontinuation and supplemental CoQ10.”
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