A Wall Street Journal news story written by Tara Parker-Pope and published in the February 1, 2002 edition of the Wall Street Journal brought to light what could be a very big health problem in the near future.

Newly revised U.S. government cholesterol standards could raise the number of people in the U.S. taking statin drugs, (including Zocor and Lipitor), from approximately 12 million today to nearly 36 million people. Statin drugs can cause a number of adverse side effects. Suspected side effects include muscle aches and memory loss, both common complaints from the age group most likely to be prescribed a statin drug. The concern is that complaints of these side effects could just be passed off as signs of "normal" aging.

Statin drugs can lower cholesterol levels dramatically. But the side effects remain a problem. The University of California is currently doing an independent study, (funded by the National Institutes of Health), to measure and access the side effects of the drugs. According to the Wall Street Journal report, "some patients have quit the study because of irritability, clouded thinking or pain".

If you are on a statin drug and experience any of these, or other, side effects, do NOT stop taking the medication before discussing the problem with your doctor. As the Wall Street Journal report concludes, "Some patients experience fewer side effects if the dose is lowered or the brand is changed. Other doctors recommend taking the supplement coenzyme Q10". The Wall Street Journal report then quotes Peter Langsjoen, a Tyler, Texas, cardiologist who said "You take these fragile elderly people, knock their cholesterol in half and deplete them of this essential nutrient", (Coenzyme Q10), "and it makes sense they're going to have trouble."

If you are already using our Q-Gel CoQ10, you know exactly what Dr. Langsjoen means when he refers to Coenzyme Q10 as an "essential nutrient". If not, you may want to check out the benefits of supplementing your diet with Q-Gel CoQ10, especially if you have been prescribed one of these powerful statin drugs. Why Q-Gel? Because it is the world's best CoQ10. In fact, clinical studies confirm Q-Gel's absolute superiority over ALL other dosage forms tested by MORE than 300%.

The full Wall Street Journal report: "Cholesterol Drug Use Raises Questions About Side Effects" can be found on the Wall Street Journal web site: WSJ.com. However, they may only keep articles dating back 30 days. Headlines are free, but you must be a WSJ.com subscriber to view the complete article.