Statin therapy and plasma coenzyme Q10 concentrations--A systematic review and meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials

source extracted confidence: high 2026-04-09
#adult #aged #case-control-studies #double-blind-method #female

Statin therapy and plasma coenzyme Q10 concentrations--A systematic review and meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials

Banach et al., 2015 | Pharmacol Res | Meta Analysis

Citation

Banach Maciej, Serban Corina, ... Sahebkar Amirhossein. Statin therapy and plasma coenzyme Q10 concentrations--A systematic review and meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials. Pharmacol Res. 2015-Sep;99:329-36. doi:10.1016/j.phrs.2015.07.008

Abstract

Statin therapy may lower plasma coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) concentrations, but the evidence as to the significance of this effect is unclear. We assessed the impact of statin therapy on plasma CoQ10 concentrations through the meta-analysis of available RCTs. The literature search included selected databases up to April 30, 2015. The meta-analysis was performed using either a fixed-effects or random-effect model according to I(2) statistic. Effect sizes were expressed as weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI). The data from 8 placebo-controlled treatment arms suggested a significant reduction in plasma CoQ10 concentrations following treatment with statins (WMD: -0.44 μmol/L, 95%CI: -0.52, -0.37, p<0.001). The pooled effect size was robust and remained significant in the leave-one-out sensitivity analysis. Subgroup analysis suggested that the impact of statins on plasma CoQ10 concentrations is significant for all 4 types of statins studied i.e. atorvastatin (WMD: -0.41 μmol/L, 95%CI: -0.53, -0.29, p<0.001), simvastatin (WMD: -0.47 μmol/L, 95% CI: -0.61, -0.33, p<0.001), rosuvastatin (WMD: -0.49 μmol/L, 95%CI: -0.67, -0.31, p<0.001) and pravastatin (WMD: -0.43 μmol/L, 95%CI: -0.69, -0.16, p=0.001). Likewise, there was no differential effect of lipophilic (WMD: -0.43 μmol/L, 95%CI: -0.53, -0.34, p<0.001) and hydrophilic statins (WMD: -0.47 μmol/L, 95%CI: -0.62, -0.32, p<0.001). With respect to treatment duration, a significant effect was observed in both subsets of trials lasting <12 weeks (WMD: -0.51 μmol/L, 95%CI: -0.64, -0.39, p<0.001) and ≥12 weeks (WMD: -0.40 μmol/L, 95%CI: -0.50, -0.30, p<0.001). The meta-analysis showed a significant reduction in plasma CoQ10 concentrations following treatment with statins. Further well-designed trials are required to confirm our findings and elucidate their clinical relevance.

Key Findings

Further well-designed trials are required to confirm our findings and elucidate their clinical relevance.

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size See abstract
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Placebo Effect
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Ubiquinone

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Systematic Review
  • Vertical: coq10-heart

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09