What Everyone Who Takes a Cholesterol-Lowering Drug Should Know

By Jon Herring | 02/1/2006 |

Recently, I’ve been addressing the issue of statin drugs in ETR. If you take these drugs or know someone who does, it’s important to understand the risks. And I hope I’ve convinced you that you can’t count on the drug companies or most doctors to reveal them.

Here’s just one example …

By blocking the production of cholesterol in the liver, statins also block the production of Coenzyme-Q10. A Columbia University study found that CoQ10 levels were reduced by half after only 30 days of statin treatments. People who take statins need to know this, because CoQ10 is vital for producing muscular energy. And a lack of this nutrient can cause the heart (which is a muscle) to function improperly, resulting in heart failure.

This is not news. Researchers established the relationship between CoQ10 and heart health years ago. It is also well known that statins are responsible for depleting the body of CoQ10. Yet, very few doctors who prescribe these drugs make this known to their patients.

So, after reading what I’ve been writing, if you still believe you should be taking a statin drug … now you know that it is imperative for you to also supplement with CoQ10.

[Ed. Note: We want to hear from you. If you would like to comment on the potential benefits vs. the dangers of cholesterol-lowering drugs, please visit the ETR Speak Out forum.]

Jon Herring is the former Health Editor and copywriter for Early To Rise. While his formal education is in finance, Jon has invested over 3000 hours in the study of health and nutrition. He is deeply motivated to provide people with the information and the inspiration to live a long and active life, filled with energy and free from disease. Jon has also been a student of direct sales and marketing since an early age. Before he was 10 years old, he was selling door to door, and he has been an active entrepreneur ever since. After graduating from the University of Georgia in 1993, Jon moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming where he learned how to build houses, climb mountains, catch trout, and ski fast down hill. However, after several years of poverty with a nice view, Jon returned to his hometown of Nashville to seek his fortune. Within two years – at the age of 26 – he had started a direct marketing business that was earning six figure annual revenues. In addition to his passion for health, Jon has a strong interest in business and investing. He is also a staunch advocate for honest government and the libertarian values of privacy, freedom, and personal responsibility.

Posted in Health