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Study title and authors:
Dose-related decrease of serum coenzyme Q10 during treatment with HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors.
Mortensen SA, Leth A, Agner E, Rohde M.
Department of Medicine B, National University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9266515
Mortensen notes that coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinone) is an antioxidant, a molecule that is essential in the chemical reactions of the mitochondria (for energy production) and may help to prevent clogged arteries.
This randomised in a double-blind trial investigated the effect of statin drugs on coenzyme Q10 levels. The trial included 45 patients with "high" cholesterol who were treated with increasing dosages of either lovastatin (20-80 mg per day) or pravastatin (10-40 mg per day) over a period of 18 weeks.
The study found after 18 weeks of statin therapy:
(a) The coenzyme Q10 levels of patients taking lovastatin decreased by 29%.
(b) The coenzyme Q10 levels of patients taking pravastatin decreased by 20%.
Mortensen concludes that: "continued vigilance of a possible adverse consequence from coenzyme Q10 lowering seems important during long-term (statin) therapy".
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