Statins are a hot topic of discussion at the moment, and many people are asking the same question: what do I really need to know about them? 

With more than 92 million Americans taking statin medications, conversations around cholesterol, side effects, and long term wellness are prevalent. To help clear things up, Dr. Mohammadi weighs in on what statin users really need to understand about a key nutrient deficiency that standard blood tests don’t typically catch…

Some of us do have excess cholesterol, and to optimize our cardiovascular health we need to address that through supplements or medications. If you are on - or contemplating getting on - cholesterol medicines, particularly statins, it is important to understand their potential side effect profile.

Statins are known to deplete or reduce several key nutrients, most notably CoQ10. CoQ10 can drop 30 to 50 percent because statins block the HMG-CoA reductase pathway used to produce both cholesterol and CoQ10. This can lead to fatigue, muscle aches, weakness, and reduced exercise tolerance. Statins may also interfere with vitamin K2 (MK-7) recycling, potentially increasing vascular calcification risk, and they can affect selenium dependent enzymes involved in antioxidant protection, which may worsen muscle related symptoms.

To naturally support CoQ10 levels, dietary sources include grass fed beef, heart, liver, sardines, mackerel, trout, chicken thighs, pork, peanuts, pistachios, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, and whole grains. However, supplementation is often required to reach therapeutic levels.

It is also important to recognize that many of our hormones are derived from cholesterol, so if cholesterol is overtreated it can contribute to mood issues and hormone imbalances. This is why it is crucial to discuss advanced cholesterol testing and nutritional testing with your primary care doctor and choose the ideal treatment approach for you.

One popular supplement used as a statin alternative is red yeast rice extract. Since this supplement has a similar mechanism of action to statins, it also depletes the body of CoQ10. Many high quality formulas combine the two together (RYRE + CoQ10) for this reason. I share this because supplements, just like medicines, have potential effects and side effects, and we want to be mindful of both efficacy and safety.

If you are taking statins or exploring options to support cholesterol health, this is an important conversation to start. Lifescape can help guide you through advanced testing, nutrient evaluation, and personalized treatment so we can make the most informed choices for your long term wellbeing, together.

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