Ubiquinol CoQ10 & Statins: What You Need To Know

Couple riding bikes
Written by Risa Schulman
clock-line icon
5 mins

Our bodies produce cholesterol to perform various essential functions. Most of the cholesterol needed for good health is produced by the liver, with the rest coming from diet. It’s essential for human life.

But too much cholesterol can put us at risk for heart disease and stroke. More than 70 million Americans have this problem. Some people can reduce high cholesterol levels by changing their diet and increasing exercise, but millions need the help of prescription medicine. Some of these cholesterol-lowering medications, including brand names like Lipitor®, Crestor®, and Zocor®, are collectively known as statins.

CoQ10, Ubiquinol, and Statins

What many people don’t know is that statins also lower the body’s production of CoQ101 2 3 4, especially when you are prescribed a high dose. This leads to less Ubiquinol in the blood. The Ubiquinol form of CoQ10 serves several essential functions in the body, and even small decreases in Ubiquinol can disrupt the body’s ability to produce energy and lead to oxidative stress. This is why if you’re taking a statin, you should consider taking a  Ubiquinol supplement.

READ MORE: What Is The Ubiquinol Form Of CoQ10 and Why Does It Matter?

Reduced levels of Ubiquinol can also affect your LDL cholesterol. As the body’s strongest fat-soluble antioxidant, Ubiquinol can help defend against the oxidation of LDL cholesterol by inactivating free radicals. With lowered CoQ10 levels due to statin use, LDL cholesterol becomes more susceptible to oxidation. Oxidized LDL cholesterol is a risk factor for certain vascular conditions. Watch the video below to learn more about why taking a Ubiquinol supplement  with a statin is vital for maintaining healthy Ubiquinol CoQ10 levels and supporting your heart’s health.

How do Statins reduce Ubiquinol?

For those with high cholesterol, statins can offer many health benefits and you should follow your doctor’s advice if you are prescribed one.

But how can a medicine so effective in lowering cholesterol also reduce a nutrient as important as CoQ10?

The answer is our bodies make cholesterol in much the same way as they make CoQ10. In fact, the same compounds used to make cholesterol are also used to create CoQ10. You can see the connection between cholesterol and CoQ10 production in the simplified illustration below.

 

Inforgraphic of statins

Cholesterol and CoQ10 are made following the transformation of a compound called acetoacetyl-CoA to another organic compound called mevalonate. See how the process is impacted by statin medications.

Statins are good at stopping the first compound from transforming into the second, which is important to treating high cholesterol. Unfortunately, this means our bodies also have less of the compound needed to make CoQ10. Human studies have shown that even when taking standard doses for as few as three months, statin medicines can significantly lower the amount of both the conventional and Ubiquinol forms of CoQ10.

What Should Statin Users Do?

It’s fairly simple to address the issue of CoQ10 depletion caused by statin medication. Because CoQ10 is difficult to obtain through diet alone, consider taking a Ubiquinol dietary supplement (but, check with your health care provider before starting any vitamin or supplement).

Be sure to choose the form of CoQ10 that’s right for you:

Conventional CoQ10 is a good option for:

Young people under 40

The Ubiquinol form of CoQ10 is a good option for:

Anyone over 40 and those taking statins

Why?

  • If you have a healthy lifestyle and are not taking a statin, conventional CoQ10 supplements may be sufficient for your needs.

  • At this age, your body can effectively convert this form of CoQ10 into Ubiquinol, the form that’s essential  for powering your heart and other organs.

  • Even so, you can choose to take a Ubiquinol supplement if you’d like to bypass the CoQ10 conversion process and take the active, antioxidant form of this nutrient.

Why?

  • Only the Ubiquinol form of CoQ10 is directly associated with cellular energy production required to power your heart and other energy intensive organs.5 As we age, it becomes harder and to convert conventional CoQ10 to Ubiquinol.6

  • Ubiquinol is a potent antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals that can damage cells, helping protect proteins and DNA from oxidative damage.7

  • This form regenerates other antioxidants like Vitamins C and E.

  • Ubiquinol is up to 70% more bioavailable than Conventional CoQ10.8
Written by:

Risa Schulman

Ph.D

Risa Schulman, Ph.D. took her lifelong love of science, people and the fulfillment of potential to create a multifaceted career in R&D, business, health and wellness, and empowering individuals. 

References

1 Passi S, Stancato A, Aleo E, Dmitrieva A, Littarru GP. Statins lower plasma and lymphocyte ubiquinol/ubiquinone without affecting other antioxidants and PUFA. Biofactors. 2003;18(1-4):113-24.

2 De Pinieux G, Chariot P, Ammi-Said M et al., Lipid-lowering drugs and mitochondrial functions: effects of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors on serum ubiquinone and blood lactate/pyruvate ratio. Br. J. Clin. Pharmacol. 1996;42(3):333–337.

3 Mortensen SA, Leth A, Agner E, Rohde M. Dose-related decrease of serum coenzyme Q10 during treatment with HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. Mol Aspects Med Suppl 1997;18: S137–144.

4 Watts GF, Castellucci C, Rice-Evans C et al., Plasma coenzyme Q (ubiquinone) concentrations in patients treated with simvastatin. J. Clin Pathol. 1993;46(11):1055–1057.

5 Becker WM and Deamer DW. Energy from Chemical Bonds: The aerobic mode. In: The World of the Cell, 2nd Ed., The Benjamin Cummings Publishing Company, Inc, Redwood City , CA., pps. 275-313.

6 Wada H, Goto H, Hagiwara S, Yamamoto Y. Redox status of coenzyme Q10 is associated with chronological age. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2007 Jul;55(7):1141-2.

7 Forsmark-Andrée P, Ernster L. Evidence for a protective effect of endogenous ubiquinol against oxidative damage to mitochondrial protein and DNA during lipid peroxidation. Mol Aspects Med. 1994;15 Suppl:s73-81

8 Langsjoen PH, Langsjoen AM. Comparison study of plasma coenzyme Q10 levels in healthy subjects supplemented with ubiquinol versus ubiquinone. Clin Pharmacol Drug Dev. 2013;3(1):13-17.

As seen in:

  • ABC Logo
  • The Dr. OZ Show Logo
  • Fox Logo
  • Whole Foods Magazine Logo
  • CBS Logo