Epoch HealthLong-Term Use of Statins Linked to Heart Disease: Studies

Statins: A Double-Edged Sword in Heart Disease Management?

Statins, long considered a cornerstone in the fight against heart disease, may have a darker side. Emerging research suggests that these drugs, while beneficial in some respects, could potentially exacerbate coronary artery calcification and deplete vital heart-protecting nutrients.

Key Points:

• Statins may act as “mitochondrial toxins,” impairing muscle function in the heart and blood vessels by depleting coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), an antioxidant essential for cell growth and maintenance.
• CoQ10 is crucial for producing ATP, the cell’s primary energy carrier. Insufficient CoQ10 inhibits ATP production, potentially causing heart muscle and coronary artery damage.
• Statins may also impair the production of vitamin K, an essential vitamin in managing calcification. Optimal vitamin K2 intake helps avoid plaque buildup of atherosclerosis and keeps calcification risk low.
• Statins may spur arterial calcium accumulation by inhibiting vitamin K, according to a 2021 study published in the Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences.
• Statins also damage selenoproteins, carriers of the mineral selenium, essential for heart health.
• Physicians may overlook statins as a potential driver of heart failure, often attributing it to other factors such as age, high blood pressure, or artery disease.

We believe that many years of statin drug therapy result in the gradual accumulation of mitochondrial DNA damage.
– Authors of the review in Clinical Pharmacology

More on Statins