Loss of coenzyme Q10 increases pre-diabetes risk

(Mel Soule) #1

This is an interesting contribution to the mitochondrial metabolic knowledgebase from our friends down under @richard and Duke University. Seems that CoQ10 depletion either through being too much of a sugar burner or worse yet poisoning ourselves with statins increases insulin resistance. Food for thought.Loss-of-coenzyme-Q10-increases-pre-diabetes-risk.pdf (158.0 KB)

(Richard Morris) #2

Yes. Statins inhibit the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase which is necessary not only to make cholesetrol, but also CoQ-10 which is essential for the ETC, HEME, Vitamin K.

Yikes! Friends don’t let friends take statins!

(Mel Soule) #3

Well said my friend. Good to have the relational data between CoQ-10 deficiency and insulin resistance finally. 200 mg/day should do the trick.

(Rob) #4

My father has had a relatively minor central (rather than lateral) stroke and he is on a blood thinner and a statin. He has irreversible brain damage from a different condition though we got him back to that (low) baseline after the stroke. He was T2 but we seem to have reversed that and HBP through low-carb (no where near keto) since he eats pretty much the same stuff every day and we’ve engineered it to be lower carb. Luckily he can’t remember what he’s eaten from one meal to another so we can be consistent. I’ve read everything you’ve said about statins and had read similar before. Sadly, I got him off his statin a bit before the stroke and the hospital neuro doctor rolled his eyes at me when he heard and almost blamed me for the stroke… so he’s back on it. I want to get him off it again, especially with the potential brain function side effects that we cannot afford him to have (he is just above the threshold for not being able to be left unsupervised for a few hours) but we are understandably nervous.

Can you recommend the study/studies that might convince his GP that the statin is not necessary or would you be concerned that he is one of the 1:83 that would benefit from a statin? Many thanks.

(Richard Morris) #5

Sorry to hear that Rob. There is some evidence that once you have plaques, that Statins may be able to keep them breaking off and going mobile and presenting stroke risk, heart attack risk, or risk of pulmonary embolism.

No one quite understands the mechanism, but some experts suggest a reduction in inflammation. I suspect “reduced inflammation” is so much hand waving, and they really don’t know what causes the effect - but this may be why among people who have had an MI, PE or CI a Statin use subsequently lowers risk of a repeat.

But very little quality evidence in the literature that it would prevent the first instance. He was probably going to have the stroke whether he was on a Statin or not, so I wouldn’t worry about the Neurologist guilting you on that basis.

The cause of the problem was probably a lifetime of not being able to get insulin to go low. It’s hard to unwind enough of that to make a difference give the time available. What you can do is make sure he gets adequate energy to his brain. I would be trying to get him to manufacture ketones via diet, or supplementing them exogenously (one of the rare cases I would suggest that). His brain having the option of ketones as an alternate fuel may help protect him from slipping below that threshold.

Simple ways to get him to make more would be to give him a bulletproof coffee in the morning (one of the rare times I would recommend THAT too) and by that I mean medium chained fatty acids like coconut oil or fractionated coconut oil (brain octane or other MCT oils), not butter.

(Rob) #6

Thank you so much! I had looked into nootropic supplements (e.g. Sulforaphane) but I hadn’t thought of the MCT/ketone angle. I have to rely on my mum (younger and much healthier than dad) to execute such a plan but I bet we could incorporate MCT and maybe ketones (though that might be out of budget for a while).

Thanks again!