History
After his first heart attack, John, a 61-year-old man, had diligently followed all recommendations from his cardiologist. He started on a Mediterranean diet and made sure to exercise regularly, both helping to lower his body weight. John also started on statin medication which helped to significantly bring down his lipid levels. After three months on statin medication prescribed after his surgery, John started having significant muscle and joint aches. He returned to his primary care physician who ordered an Organix Comprehensive Profile to evaluate his mitochondrial function.
Description of Results
John’s Organix Profile revealed issues in his mitochondrial function. The test results showed elevated lactate, succinate, fumarate, and malate, all of which become elevated when there is a need for Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). Statin medications have been shown to lower CoQ10 levels in some patients.
Recommendations
John was advised to start supplementing with 300 mg/day of CoQ10 and riboflavin. Statins interfere with the natural production of Q10, which is evidenced by lower blood levels of CoQ10 in patients taking statins. It has been known for over a decade that statin drugs reduce Q10 levels as much as 25%, though current standard guidelines do not recommend routine use of CoQ10 in people taking statins to compensate for reduced CoQ10 levels.
Follow-up
After three months of supplementing with the CoQ10 and riboflavin, John reported a decrease in muscle and joint aches. John also had a follow-up Organix Profile, which showed his mitochondrial function had returned to normal.
