CoQ10 and Statin Drugs

Statin drugs have become very popular and are being widely prescribed in recent years to lower high blood cholesterol and thus reduce the risk for heart disease. These drugs block cholesterol production in the body by inhibiting the enzyme called HMG-CoA reductase in the early steps of its synthesis in the mevalonate pathway. This same biosynthetic pathway is also shared by CoQ10. Therefore, one unfortunate consequence of statin drugs is the unintentional inhibition of CoQ10 synthesis. Thus, in the long run, statin drugs could predispose the patients to heart disease by lowering their CoQ10 status, the very condition that these drugs are intended to prevent.

Dr. Emile Bliznakov, an authority on CoQ10, recently published a scholarly review on the interaction between statin drugs and CoQ10 (Bliznakov and Wilkins, 1998). He wrote the best-selling book "The Miracle Nutrient Coenzyme Q10" several years ago and it is still being hailed as the best reference book on CoQ10 (Bliznakov, 1987).

The reduction of CoQ10 levels might be associated with myopathy, a rare adverse effect associated with statin drugs. This metabolic myopathy is related to ubiquinone (CoQ10) deficiency in muscle cell mitochondria, disturbing normal cellular respiration and causing adverse effects such as rhabdomyolysis, exercise intolerance, and recurrent myoglobinuria. (DiMuro S., Exercise intolerance and the mitochondrial respiratory chain. Ital J Neurol Sci. Dec. 1999;20(6):387-393).

It is important to note that Coenzyme Q10 supplementation does not interfere with the very important cholesterol-lowering effect of statin drugs such as Lipitor® and Zocor®. Therefore, if you are taking a statin drug, (especially for an extended period of time), you may want to consider discussing CoQ10 supplementation with your health care professional.

The bottom line is that the popular and widely prescribed cholesterol lowering drugs called "Statins" can block the synthesis of Coenzyme Q10 in the body which may lead to sub-optimal CoQ10 levels. Supplementation with Q-Gel CoQ-10 is a prudent approach when undergoing "statin" therapy.

But, don't just take our word for it. One of the world's premier Pharmaceutical Companies and the manufacturer of the 2nd largest selling statin drug has not one but two US Patents regarding the use of Coenzyme Q10 with HMG-COA Reductase Inhibitors (Statins). You can read the full contents of these patents for yourself on the official United States Patent and Trademark Office web site (www.uspto.gov/). It is interesting to note that both of these patents were issued over twelve years ago (May and June of 1990) but that no use of the patented process of combining Coenzyme Q10 with HMG-COA Reductase Inhibitors (Statins) has yet been made or publicized.

The Patent numbers you will want to look up are: Patent Number: 4,933,165 Patent Number: 4,929,437

Below is a verbatim sample from Patent Number 4,933,165.

"What is claimed is:

1. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a pharmaceutical carrier and an effective antihypercholesterolemic amount of an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor and an amount of Coenzyme Q.sub.10 effective to counteract HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor-associated skeletal muscle myopathy.

2. A composition of claim 1 in which the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor is selected from: lovastatin, simvastatin, pravastatin and sodium-3,5-dihydroxy-7-[3-(4-fluorophenyl)-1-(methylethyl)-1H-Indole-2yl]- hept-6-enoate.

3. A method of counteracting HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor-associated skeletal muscle myopathy in a subject in need of such treatment which comprises the adjunct administration of a therapeutically effective amount of an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor and an effective amount of Coenzyme Q.sub.10 to counteract said myopathy.

4. A method of claim 3 in which the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of: lovastatin, simvastatin, pravastatin and sodium-3,5-dihydroxy-7-[3-(4-fluorophenyl)-1-(methylethyl)-1H-Indole-2yl]- hept-6-enoate."

To access these patents: Go to the official United States Patent and Trademark Office web site at (www.uspto.gov/). (We certainly hope you'll come back to epic4health.com later!). From the Patent offices home page "click" on the Patents button, then "click" on "Search Patents", then click on "Patent Number Search". Type in the patent number (4,933,165) in the "Query Box" and "click" on the search button. The Patent number and title will show up, then just click on the patent number and you will be able to read the full documentation, including who is assigned the patent. I've probably made this whole search process sound harder than it really is -- give it a try, you may be surprised by what you learn.