Do you need CoQ10 if you take a statin?

880. CoQ10 shows up in cellular energy production, in antioxidant defense, and increasingly, in marketing aimed at anyone over fifty. It's sold for energy, for athletic performance, and especially to the millions of people taking a statin, since those medications really do lower CoQ10 levels in the blood.

So who genuinely benefits? In this episode, Monica sorts the credible case from the promotional one. She covers why your body makes most of its own CoQ10 rather than getting it from food, what statins actually do to your levels and whether that matters, and what the evidence says about the claim that CoQ10 relieves statin-related muscle pain. You'll also hear the better-validated steps to try before reaching for a supplement, why she compares this situation to glucosamine and joint pain, how to take CoQ10 if you decide to test it yourself, and why the energy-boosting claims deserve real skepticism.

Join us for a live show taping on September 17 in New York City. Details at wellnessworkshere.com/live.

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References

Marcoff L, Thompson PD. The role of coenzyme Q10 in statin-associated myopathy: a systematic review - PubMed

Grundy SM, Stone N. AHA Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol: PubMed

Kovacic S, Habicht SD, Effects of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on myopathy in statin-treated patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis - PubMed

Warden BA, Guyton JR, Assessment and management of statin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMS): A clinical perspective from the National Lipid Association - PubMed