Renegade Neurologist

From OliofSpices.com:

WUHAN CITY, CHINA. There is now growing evidence that oxidative stress and inflammation are involved in chronic heart failure. Statin drugs such as atorvastatin, simvastatin and pravastatin have recently been shown to posses anti-inflammatory properties and coenzyme Q10 is a powerful antioxidant and essential for cardiac mitochondrial energy production. Unfortunately, statin drugs reduce the level of coenzyme Q10, sometimes to the point of fostering muscle-related problems (myopathies) like rhabdomyolysis.

A team of Chinese researchers at Wuhan University has now come up with the idea of combining the statin drug atorvastatin (Lipitor) with coenzyme Q10 in the treatment of patients with congestive heart failure. They conducted a clinical trial in which heart failure patients on standard treatment were randomized into receiving atorvastatin, coenzyme Q10, atorvastatin + Q10, or a placebo. At the end of the 6-month treatment period the following changes were observed:

* The level of the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP) had dropped from 5.5 mg/L (0.55 mg/dL) to 2.0 mg/L in the atorvastatin + coenzyme Q10 group. Levels of the inflammatory marker tumor necrotic factor alpha and the oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde also dropped significantly in the atorvastatin + Q10 group.

* Left ventricular ejection fraction had increased from 30% to 43% in the atorvastatin + Q10 group.

* No significant changes were observed in the control group.