Coenzyme Q10 does not improve peripheral insulin sensitivity in statin-treated men and women; the LIFESTAT study

Simvastatin is a cholesterol-lowering drug that is prescribed to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease following high levels of blood cholesterol. There is a possible risk of new onset diabetes mellitus with statin treatment but the mechanisms behind are unknown. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplementation has been found to improve glucose homeostasis in various patient populations and may increase muscle GLUT4 content. Our aim was to investigate whether eight weeks of CoQ10 supplementation can improve glucose homeostasis in simvastatin treated subjects. Thirty-five men and women in treatment with minimum 40 mg of simvastatin daily were randomized to receive either 2 x 200 mg/d of CoQ10 supplementation or placebo for eight weeks. Glucose homeostasis was investigated with fasting blood samples, OGTT and IVGTT. Insulin sensitivity was assessed with the hyperinsulinemic, euglycemic clamp. Different indices were calculated from fasting samples and OGTT as secondary measures of insulin sensitivity. A muscle biopsy...