Deb (MN) on 12/01/2023
Please don't dismiss the importance of coq10 or ubiqionol. My daughter recovered from postpartum cardiomyopathy. She took a minimum of 800 mgs a day, along with other supplements. I know your article is about cholesterol, but people may get the wrong idea about the use of coq10. Thank you for your article! I'm taking all of the ones you suggested.
Replied By Art (California) on 12/01/2023
Thank you for reiterating the importance of CoQ10 for our health, especially at higher dosage levels!
I could definitely have worded that better, because I did not mean to dismiss the potential health benefits of CoQ10/Ubiquinol. They are real and that is why I was and still am taking higher dose ubiquinol. I only meant to point out that if the reason you are taking it is to lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, you will likely be disappointed in your results.
Art
Replied By Vlada (Miaimi) on 12/01/2023
Replied By Art (California) on 11/30/2024
Hi Devonviolet,It was never my intent, to in any way, minimize the potential health value of Ubiquinol as I explained to, Deb. The only point I was trying to make about Ubiquinol is that it is not likely to be helpful to lower high cholesterol levels even at higher dosing levels.
Myself, I take 800 mg of Ubiquinol per day because I am well aware of the health potential that it can offer. Some people think my intake is too high, but as the following study illustrates, it may actually be too low to get the full benefits that ubiquinol can offer us, as the following study used 1500 mg/day of ubiquinol to very good effect in MSA patients. MSA is sometimes described as PD on steroids and it has very little in the way of treatments, so anything that helps is very important :
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(23)00097-4/fulltext
Here is a relevant quote from the RCT :
' A total of 131 patients were included in the full analysis set (63 in the ubiquinol group; 68 in the placebo group). This study met the primary efficacy outcome (least square mean difference in UMSARS part 2 score (−1.7 [95% CI, −3.2 to −0.2]; P = 0.023)). The ubiquinol group also showed better secondary efficacy outcomes (Barthel index, Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia, and time required to walk 10 m). Rates of adverse events potentially related to the investigational drug were comparable between ubiquinol (n = 15 [23.8%]) and placebo (n = 21 [30.9%]). '
I am glad that you also found useful results with Ubiquinol!
My GP was open to the use of NK, GSPE and K2M7 as a substitute for a statin, as long as I got similar or better results to a statin drug within 3 to 4 months. I admit though, he is the exception to the rule and I appreciate his flexibility with me in letting me test alternative options and doing the needed testing to see if what I am taking is working for the desired purpose. I save my hard no's for a last resort, because I find that doctors in general do not appreciate that type of input from their patients, no matter how flexible they are. I have heard stories of patients who did that and their doctor then suggested that they should look for a new doctor. Our medical system has so much room for improvement and I believe that improvement will come with time as more meaningful health discoveries are made, but in the meantime, the going can get a little rough at times.
Art
Replied By Devonviolet (East Texas) on 11/30/2024
Last year, I received a letter telling me Dr. Langsjoen has retired. However, there is a YouTube video (from 2012) of Dr. Langsjoen explaining CoQ10 and how it works.
https://youtu.be/0gaJH-DvdnU?si=OdJqJv1WtBo7BZZd
As an aside to your suggestion (which I know you have to make) to discussing the use of NK, K2 and GSPE to lower cholesterol and minimize atherosclerosis, they won't even consider that as an option.
In 2022, I was having shortness of breath and fatigue. I went to my husband's cardiologist. He didn't know what was causing it, so he ordered a heart cath. I went into it thinking since I'm over weight with high cholesterol, I would have blocked arteries. I was shocked to learn that my arteries were perfectly clear.
I have been taking NK since 2012 to prevent stroke, due to a strong family history of stroke (maternal grandfather, maternal 1st cousin and younger brother). I started with 100mg, but after six years started having a weird feeling in my head. As a retired RN, I did my own assessment and research and realized I might be feeling a precursor to a stroke. So, I increased my dose to 200mg (4000fu) per day, and within hours that feeling went away. Then, last year, I started getting that same feeling. Again, I increased by 100mg (2000fu). By the next day that feeling was gone and hasn't come back. So, now I'm taking 4000fu at night and 2000fu in the morning and will continue to do so.
I have spoken with two Cardiologists and 3 PCPs about the effectiveness of NK for preventing stroke and atherosclerosis, mentioning that there are hundreds of clinical trials verifying that. All of them shake their heads, dig their heels in the ground, and say, “There is no conclusive evidence that it works.” They refuse to even consider NK as an option for lowering cholesterol and preventing stroke or atherosclerosis. And without fail, they want to put me on statins!!! That's a hard NO!!! Not going to happen!!!
Replied By Tina (Princeton) on 12/01/2024
Hi Devonviolet, what brand of Ubiqinol do you take? Thanks.