Stunning contradiction: The heart drug that can harm your heart

Your heart’s delight

Here’s a comment that might make your doctor’s heart skip a beat…

Statin drugs can put your heart at risk in two important ways.

For medical mainstreamers, that sentence will read like fiction. It just doesn’t fit with statin mythology.

But believe me, it’s not fiction. This danger is quite real.

Classic CoQ10

Pick out a statin study. Any statin study. No matter how badly the study results reflect on statins, one of the authors will always say something in support of statin use. Always. It never fails. It’s as if they all have to sign a contract, promising positive statements.

The newest statin study is no exception.

Dr. Flemming Dela of the Center for Healthy Aging in Copenhagen starts off with this… “Many contradictory views find their way into the public forum, and it can be difficult for patients to distinguish between fact and fiction.”

That’s an excellent point, right? Complete agreement there.

But then he offers up this stunning contradictory view… “Up to 75 percent of the physically active patients undergoing treatment for high cholesterol experience pain. This may keep people away from either taking their medicine or from taking exercise — both of which are bad choices.”

Okay. Let’s review. Not exercising is a bad choice. Agreed. But when three out of four physically active statin users experience pain, not taking their medicine IS a good choice. It’s the wise choice.

Contrary to his odd statement, Dr. Dela’s study goes straight to one of the earliest problems identified with statins.

For many years, we’ve had evidence that statin use depletes coenzyme Q10. CoQ10, of course, is the powerhouse compound that’s in nearly every cell of your body. It converts nutrients into energy. It’s also an indispensible antioxidant.

In Dr. Dela’s clinical trial, nearly half of the subjects who used statins experienced muscle pain. Tissue biopsy results showed depleted levels of CoQ10 and three other antioxidants in statin users. Glucose was also elevated in the statin group.

So you’ve got high glucose. That’s a precursor of type 2 diabetes. And that’s heart risk number one.

You’ve also got low CoQ10. As any first-year medical student will tell you, CoQ10 is essential for optimal heart health. That’s heart risk number two.

Low CoQ10 is one of the known causes of heart failure.

In heart attack patients, CoQ10 supplements reduce risk of a second heart attack.

CoQ10 supplements also help control blood pressure in hypertension patients.

The evidence is clear. If a statin lowers your CoQ10, you’ll end up with far greater risks than just painful, damaged muscles.

Sources:
“Simvastatin Effects on Skeletal Muscle: Relation to Decreased Mitochondrial Function and Glucose Intolerance” Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Vol. 61, No. 1, January 2013, onlinejacc.org

“Study confirms CoQ10 decline in statin-treated patients” Life Extension Foundation, 1/11/13, lef.org