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Author:
Don Ford, M.D.

Epidemiological studies such as The Framingham Heart Study and landmark clinical trials using cholesterol medications have demonstrated that patients have fewer serious cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes when their LDL cholesterol is low. As a result of these findings, over the last 15 years the national guidelines for treating patients with heart disease, diabetes or even patients with multiple risk factors such as smoking history, diabetes, age, or hypertension have become more stringent. Guidelines now point to the fact that lower LDL is better, yet LDL is still only one part of lowering patients overall cardiovascular risks.

Because of these more stringent national guidelines, and increased number of patients that are being put on drugs to lower their LDL cholesterol, along with diet and exercise, to lower their risk of having a heart attack or stroke. In most cases, patients will be expected to remain on a medication for the rest of their life in order to help control this chronic condition called hyperlipidemia. It is so important to be aware of some of the potential nutritional side effects that many of these medications may have. The most effective drugs at lowering cholesterol belong to a class of drugs called statins. This class includes drugs such as Zocor (Simvastatin), Lipitor (Atorvastatin), Vytorin (Simvastatin + Ezetimibe), Pravachol (Pravastatin) Crestor (Rosuvastatin), Mevacor (Lovastatin), or Lescol (Fluvastatin),. These drugs have shown to be very effective at lowering cholesterol and they tend to have relatively few side effects in most people, although you should be sure to do the recommended blood tests for liver monitoring.

One important thing to know about this class of drugs is that as you continue to take this type of medication over time, it tends to deplete important nutrients your body needs, like Coenzyme Q-10 and possibly vitamin D. Coenzyme Q-10 is a very important compound that your body needs and if your medication is reducing your body’s levels of Coenzyme Q-10 you may experience side effects that are caused indirectly by having low levels of Coenzyme Q-10. Your physician can monitor these levels, or you can simple take a daily supplement that will be prevent the levels of these important nutrients from getting too low.

To learn more about the side effects you may experience due to low levels nutrients please visit: http://www.essential-nutrients.net/vitamins_minerals.htm

To learn more about other cholesterol medications and the nutrient depleting side effects please visit: http://www.essential-nutrients.net/high-cholesterol.htm

To learn more about any of the over the counter or prescription medications and how they can deplete your body of vitamins and minerals please visit: http://www.essential-nutrients.net/

Dr. Ford has practiced general internal medicine for the past 22 years. He is a native Texan and trained at Baylor University, the University of Texas Medical School at Houston, and Scott and White in Temple. He is a Clinical Assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine. In addition to general Internal Medicine, his practice includes travel medicine, vascular disease prevention, and Integrative Medicine with nutrients.

| Article Keywords: Nutrient Basics

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Nutrient Basics... The Biochemical Importance Of Vitamins Vitamins are the complex organic substances found in various foods which are require for different metabolic reactions within the cells. Vitamins are required in small quantities for a variety of biochemical reactions and which generally can not be synthesize by the body and therefore must be supplied by the diet. The first discovered vitamins A and B which were found to be fat and water soluble vitamins respectively. As more vitamins were discovered and shown to be either fat or water soluble vitamins thus it becomes the basis of classification of the vitamins. The water soluble vitamins are all designated members of the B complex apart from the vitamin C whereas the newly discovered fat soluble vitamins were given the designations as vitamin A,D, E, K. apart from their solubility characteristics t the water soluble vitamins have little in common from the chemical point of view. Biochemical importance of water soluble vitamins is that the lack of these vitamins in diet leads to characteristic deficiency states and diseases. Diseases of a single vitamin of the B complex are rare, since poor diets are most often associated with multiple deficiency states. Nevertheless definite syndromes are characteristics of the deficiency of specific vitamins. Apart from vitamin C all water soluble vitamins are members of vitamin B complex and act as co factors of various enzymes in the body. Thiamine (B1) is a cofactor in oxidative decarboxylation of α-keto acids and of an important enzyme or the pentose phosphate pathway, transketolase. Riboflavin and niacin are each important co factors in the oxidation reduction reactions. Pantothenic acid is present in coenzyme A and acyl carrier protein, which act as carriers acyl groups in many important reactions. Biotin is the...