Statins + coenzyme Q10 may benefit heart failure patients
WUHAN CITY, CHINA.
There is now growing evidence that oxidative stress and inflammation are involved in chronic heart failure.
Statin drugs such as atorvastatin, simvastatin and pravastatin have recently been shown to posses anti-inflammatory properties and coenzyme Q10 is a powerful antioxidant and essential for cardiac mitochondrial energy production.
Unfortunately, statin drugs reduce the level of coenzyme Q10, sometimes to the point of fostering muscle-related problems (myopathies) like rhabdomyolysis.
A team of Chinese researchers at Wuhan University has now come up with the idea of combining the statin drug atorvastatin (Lipitor) with coenzyme Q10 in the treatment of patients with congestive heart failure. (goh, nou ja, beter laat dan nooit? ;)
They conducted a clinical trial in which heart failure patients on standard treatment were randomized into receiving atorvastatin, coenzyme Q10, atorvastatin + Q10, or a placebo.
At the end of the 6-month treatment period the following changes were observed:
The level of the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP) had dropped from 5.5 mg/L (0.55 mg/dL) to 2.0 mg/L in the atorvastatin + coenzyme Q10 group. Levels of the inflammatory marker tumor necrotic factor alpha and the oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde also dropped significantly in the atorvastatin + Q10 group.
Left ventricular ejection fraction had increased from 30% to 43% in the atorvastatin + Q10 group.
No significant changes were observed in the control group.
The Chinese researchers conclude that atorvastatin and coenzyme Q10 act synergistically to improve heart failure symptoms. They emphasize that the addition of Q10 serves to increase Q10 levels depleted by the illness as well as to counter the negative influence of statin drugs on Q10 levels.
Other researchers have found that coenzyme Q10, [i]on its own[/i], is highly beneficial in that it improves cardiac systolic function by enhancing the production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) and reducing oxidative stress.
Okello, E, et al. Combined statin/coenzyme Q10 as adjunctive treatment of chronic heart failure. Medical Hypotheses, 2009 [Epub ahead of print]
Editor’s comment (bij dit artikel, en te lezen op:
http://www.oilofpisces.com/coenzyme_Q10news.htm )
Combining a statin drug with coenzyme Q10 for the treatment of heart failure is clearly beneficial. However, there are many more effective and far less dangerous natural anti-inflammatories. Thus, a combination of turmeric and Q10 might well prove to be a very effective therapy for chronic heart failure.