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The Cholesterol Benefits of Statins Without Depleting Your CoQ10

About 25% of American adults aged 45 and older take statins to reduce cholesterol and to protect against heart attacks and strokes.

Statin drugs help keep cholesterol in a healthy range by inhibiting a specific enzyme used by the liver to manufacture it. At the same time statins deplete the body’s level of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) an enzyme catalyst synthesized in the liver. CoQ10 is necessary to convert the food we eat into cellular energy. Insufficient levels of CoQ10 may result in muscle weakness or nerve pain which can lead to one of the most commonly reported side effect of statins—muscle pain. A study published last spring in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that 50% of patients stop taking their statin medication, with 17% stopping due to side effects.

So what options are available to minimize the side effects of statins and ensure patients remain on the cholesterol lowering drug? There are several things you may be able to do; such as, switch to another statin which may have fewer side effects or upon your doctor’s advice you may be able to lower the dosage. One of the easiest alternatives is to supplement with CoQ10.

CoQ10 helps restore CoQ10 levels that are diminished by statin medications. It is available in both Ubiquinol and Ubiquinone form for your body to absorb and use for energy and is the preferred choice for managing the side effects of statins. There is also a synthetic form which has not been scientifically tested. The recommended dosage to alleviate the side effects of statins is 100 – 200 mg per day.

So follow a diet low in saturated fat, exercise regularly and lose weight to lower “bad” LDL levels and increase “good” HDL levels, but don’t forgo statin treatment to regulate your cholesterol levels; just take CoQ10 to manage the unwanted side effects of the drug.

The Cooper Complete Nutritional Supplement line features CoEnzyme Q10 (CoQ10) Ubiquinol. To purchase this and other Cooper Complete Supplements click here or call 888.393.2221.

Article provided by Cathy Sides, Director of Customer Relations, Cooper Concepts Inc.