I wonder how well known it is that both serum and platelet coQ10 levels are found to be decreased in PD patients whether on statins or not--that low coq10 is thought to be a part of the disease process or at least a result of Parkinson's?
I cannot find a western medical recommendation for supplemental coq10 for patients taking statins--the drug companies maintain that it is unnecesary--since muscle tissue levels of coq10 have not consistently been depressed in patients on statins--actually depressed serum and platelet coq10 is not found in all patients on statins, just a large number of them (coq10 was depressed in 13 of 15 studies reported). since the tissue levels have not consistently been depressed, the issue is dismissed. Most of these studies have been conducted in reference to myalgias and myopathies patients can encounter on statins, thus the emphasis on muscle tissue levels.
compounding the problem for patients with PD is the fact that statins interrupt the pathway to selenoprotein N (through its effect of blocking the isoprenylated protein pathway) --a precursor to glutathione reductase--one of the compounds responsible for re-cyclling glutathione (probably THE major antioxidant in the brain), another compound found to be deficient in most patients with PD.
statins also block the pathway to production of dolichol, a big, fat lipid (is that redundant?) thought to have a function in the production of neuropeptides, and is also found to be the primary lipid component of the substantia nigra!
the turnover for brain cholesterol is projected to be 4 1/2 to 5 yrs.--cholesterol is made de novo in the brain (since cholesterol does not readily cross the blood brain barrier)via the same HMG-CO A pathway as in the liver. (The lipid soluble statins are found to be able to cross the blood brain barrier--some mroe than others. But all of them do to a degree--thus these can have a direct effect upon the brain pathway for cholesterol)--Many of the studies on statins do not run for that long a period of time--and if someone develops Parkinson's or any other disease while taking a statin in the trials, the disease state is not recorded as related to the drug--which it may not be--but would be great to have those statistics just to determine if there appears to be a causal relationship..
Why the researcher noted that statins may be protective for patients with PD is beyond my ability to comprehend--because more control patients were taking statin than PD patients??? I would guess they were also taking low dose aspirin, too, and given the anti inflammatory effects of aspirin, could at least be as effective as statins in this regard. statins are touted to be the answer for almost every disease entity today. for individuals who need the statins (ie for "seconday prevention in middle aged men who have suffered a cardiac event), it is felt they are the answer--with that I do not quibble. but for "primary prevention" for individuals with mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia, they have not proven to be of benefit (nor for women nor elderly men)--it is for those people I feel these drugs are questionable. and everyone taking a statin should take supplemental coq10.
I will step down from my soap box--i am obviously over involved in this issue....madelyn