Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) Levels are Depleted by Cholesterol-lowering Medications

• Use of certain cholesterol-lowering medication is increasing over time¹
• Nine out of 10 adults using a cholesterol-lowering medication take a statin¹

Cholesterol-lowering statins can significantly lower the amount of CoQ10 (ubiquinone) in the blood^3-6

• Statins can lower the amount of CoQ10 in the body, even when a patient has taken a standard dose for as few as 3 months³ 

A side effect of statin administration is depletion of CoQ10, which can lead to muscle-related adverse reactions⁷

• Daily Ubiquinol supplementation effectively restores CoQ10 levels which can help support muscle health during statin use.^7,8

In patients with chronic heart failure, adding Ubiquinol to statin therapy can elevate reduced CoQ10 levels, which can support skeletal and cardiac muscle health^9“

^{…there is a strong case for considering co-administration of ubiquinol with statin therapy in patients with depressed or borderline myocardial function.”}

“…we believe that the co-administration of 300 mg ubiquinol with the combination ezetimibe/statin should be the preferred initial therapeutic option for LDL-lowering in patients with heart failure and hypercholesterolaemia, especially in those with high oxidative stress and coronary artery disease.”

—Kloer H-U, Belardinelli R, Ou R, Rosenfeldt F. Combining ubiquinol with a statin may benefit hypercholesterolaemic patients with chronic heart failure. Heart Lung Circ. 2020;29(2):188-195.

Replenish the CoQ10 levels depleted by statins with Ubiquinol

• Ubiquinol can replenish CoQ10 in patients taking statins^7,8 
• Ubiquinol is more readily absorbed in the body and is more bioavailable than conventional CoQ10¹⁰
  • Read more about the absorption and bioavailability of Ubiquinol
• Ubiquinol is the only form of CoQ10 that functions as an antioxidant¹¹
  • Read more about how Ubiquinol supports optimal heart health

References

1. Gu Q, Paulose-Ram R, Burt VL, Kit BK. Prescription cholesterol-lowering medication use in adults aged 40 and over: United States, 2003-2012. NCHS Data Brief, No 177. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics; 2014.
2. American Heart Association. Cholesterol medications. Available at: https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cholesterol/prevention-and-treatment-of-high-cholesterol-hyperlipidemia/cholesterol-medications. Last reviewed November 10, 2018. Accessed December 12, 2018.
3. Passi S, Stancato A, Aleo E, et al. Statins lower plasma and lymphocyte ubiquinol/ubiquinone without affecting other antioxidants and PUFA. BioFactors. 2003;18(1-4):113-124.
4. De Pinieux G, Chariot P, Ammi-Saïd M, et al. Lipid-lowering drugs and mitochondrial function: effects of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors on serum ubiquinone and blood lactate/pyruvate ratio. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1996;42(3):333-337.
5. Mortensen SA, Leth A, Agner E, Rohde M. Dose-related decrease of serum coenzyme Q10 during treatment with HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. Mol Aspects Med Suppl. 1997;18:S137-S144.
6. Watts GF, Castelluccio C, Rice-Evans C, et al. Plasma coenzyme Q (ubiquinone) concentrations in patients treated with simvastatin. J Clin Pathol. 1993;46:1055-1057.
7. Zlatohlavek L, Vrablik M, Grauova B, et al. The effect of coenzyme Q10 in statin myopathy. Neuroendocrinol Lett. 2012;33(suppl 2):98-101.
8. Fedacko J, Pella D, Fedackova P, et al. Coenzyme Q10 and selenium in statin-associated myopathy treatment. Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 2013;91(2):165-170.
9. Kloer H-U, Belardinelli R, Ou R, Rosenfeldt F. Combining ubiquinol with a statin may benefit hypercholesterolaemic patients with chronic heart failure. Heart Lung Circ. 2020;29(2):188-195.
10. Langsjoen PH, Langsjoen AM. Comparison study of plasma coenzyme Q10 levels in healthy subjects supplemented with ubiquinol versus ubiquinone. Clin Pharmacol Drug Dev. 2013;3(1):13-17.
11. Forsmark-Andrée P, Ernster L. Evidence for a protective effect of endogenous ubiquinol against oxidative damage to mitochondrial protein and DNA during lipid peroxidation. Mol Aspects Med. 1994;15(suppl 1):S73-S81.