Ubiquinol helps statin-induced cardiomyopathy
02.12.2015 09:46
The results of a recent long-term study in statin patients with clinical heart failure show that ubiquinol supplementation can measurably increase cardiac function. The researchers believe that statin-induced cardiomyopathies are a common and often unrecognized cause of diastolic heart failure (HFpEF). Ubiquinol is said to have a preventative effect.
HFpEF is a combination of different pathophysiological disorders that manifest themselves in heart failure in which the pump function is still approximately intact.
A total of 146 patients who had been taking statins for at least four years and suffered from clinical heart failure that was not due to medical conditions were selected for the study. For example, people with coronary artery disease, heart valve disease or myocarditis were excluded. 78% of patients were diagnosed with HFpEF; in 13%, heart failure with reduced pump function (HFrEF).
At the start of the study, the test subjects received 300 mg of ubiquinol – the more bioavailable form of coenzyme Q10 – daily. At the same time, statin medication was discontinued. Before starting the supplementation and then every three to six months, echocardiograms were carried out and the blood plasma level of coenzyme Q10 was measured. In addition, participants regularly provided information about the severity of their statin-related symptoms using a point system from 0 to 3 (0 = no, 3 = severe symptoms).
Data from 133 patients who the researchers followed for an average of 29 months were available for the analysis. The subjective symptoms improved significantly: fatigue from 2.3 to 0.4 points; Muscle pain from 1.4 to 0.1 points and memory impairment from 1.3 to 0.3 points. The blood plasma level of coenzyme Q10 increased significantly and rapidly from 1.2 μg/ml to 6.1 μg/ml. Diastolic cardiac function also improved significantly; in 52 patients it even returned to normal completely. In the subjects with reduced pump function, the ejection fraction increased on average from 43% to 54%.
Furthermore, no increased mortality rate was found with discontinuation of statins. In seven patients whose health improved, heart function deteriorated again after they stopped supplementation or switched from ubiquinol to coenzyme Q10. The researchers conclude that ubiquinol supplementation can significantly improve symptoms and cardiac performance when statin medication is discontinued.
The study:
Langsjoen JO, et al.: Statin Cardiomyopathy: The Invisible Pandemic. Presented at the 8thth Conference of the International Coenzyme Q10 Association, Bologna (Italy), October 8-11, 2015.