Treatment of statin adverse effects with supplemental Coenzyme Q₁₀ and statin drug discontinuation

Abstract

Fifty consecutive new cardiology clinic patients who were on statin drug therapy (for an average of 28 months) on their initial visit were evaluated for possible adverse statin effects (myalgia, fatigue, dyspnea, memory loss, and peripheral neuropathy). All patients discontinued statin therapy due to side effects and began supplemental CoQ(10) at an average of 240 mg/day upon initial visit. Patients have been followed for an average of 22 months with 84% of the patients followed now for more than 12 months. The prevalence of patient symptoms on initial visit and on most recent follow-up demonstrated a decrease in fatigue from 84% to 16%, myalgia from 64% to 6%, dyspnea from 58% to 12%, memory loss from 8% to 4% and peripheral neuropathy from 10% to 2%. There were two deaths from lung cancer and one death from aortic stenosis with no strokes or myocardial infarctions. Measurements of heart function either improved or remained stable in the majority of patients. We conclude that statin-related side effects, including statin cardiomyopathy, are far more common than previously published and are reversible with the combination of statin discontinuation and supplemental CoQ(10). We saw no adverse consequences from statin discontinuation.

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“…Treatment with coenzyme Q10 reverses statin-induced fatigue and neurocognitive symptoms (Langsjoen et al 2005;Passi et al 2003). Curcumin and analogues inhibit ROS-induced lipid peroxidation and protein damage in mitochondria (Wei et al 2006).…”

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“…CoQ10 supplementation (100 mg/d) for 30 d has been found to decrease the muscle pain associated with statin treatment [35] . In another study, fifty consecutive new patients discontinued 28 mo of statin therapy due to side effects and began CoQ10 supplementation at an average of 240 mg/d [36] and were followed for an average of 22 mo (84% for more than 12 mo). The prevalence of fatigue from 84% on the initial visit decreased to 16%, the rate of myalgia from 64% to 6%, dyspnea from 58% to 12%, memory loss from 8% to 4% and peripheral neuropathy from 10% to 2%.…”

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“…The prevalence of patient symptoms on initial visit and on most recent follow-up demonstrated a decrease in fatigue from 84% to 16%, myalgia from 64% to 6%, dyspnea from 58% to 12%, memory loss from 8% to 4% and peripheral neuropathy from 10% to 2%. They concluded that statin-related side effects, including statin cardiomyopathy, are far more common than previously published and are reversible with the combination of statin discontinuation and supplemental CoQ10, and they saw no adverse consequences from statin discontinuation [151]. Statin drugs (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors) reduce the level of cholesterol by inhibiting the synthesis of mevalonate, an intermediary in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway.…”