statin high cholesterol

Posted in: Ask the Experts | May 12, 2009

Statins are one of the most widely prescribed drugs on the planet. Approximately 20 million people are estimated to be taking this potent cholesterol lowering drug and usage continues to grow. Statin treatment consistently and significantly lowers LDL concentration, however its effects on improving other lipid markers like the good HDL cholesterol and triglycerides are less reliable. Therefore, other supplements may complement statin therapy. If you have high triglycerides, a logical supplement to consider is fish oil which has a potent effect on lowering this lipid marker. In fact no drug is as potent as fish oil which on average lowers triglycerides by about 30%. Another supplement is vitamin B3 or more commonly called niacin. Niacin significantly lowers blood levels of triglycerides and increases HDL cholesterol and has been suggested to be an effective complement to statin therapy. It also dilates blood vessels and can be associated with reddening of the skin. The best tolerated form of niacin is inositol hexaniacinate, and effective doses can be achieved in the 50 to 200 mg/day range. Finally, another supplement to consider is CoQ10. CoQ10 levels have been shown to be depleted in patients with a variety of heart conditions and in patients during therapy with statins. Doses usually range from 30 to 100 mg/day.

-- answer by: Jeff Volek.

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