Latest podcast: Ubiquinol’s role in preventative cardiology with Dr Michelle Woolhouse and Dr Ross Walker

Renowned integrative cardiologist Dr Ross Walker and fx Medicine by BioCeuticals ambassador Dr Michelle Woolhouse discuss the specialist field of preventative cardiology, drawing on Dr Walker’s 45 years of practice. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and its active form ubiquinol, take centre stage, including Dr Walker’s use of ubiquinol in cardiovascular disease (CVD).   

This is a high energy conversation with renowned integrative cardiologist Dr Ross Walker and fx Medicine by BioCeuticals ambassador Dr Michelle Woolhouse. Dr Walker makes the specialist field of preventative cardiology accessible; he does this through his use of insightful explanations and well-crafted analogies from his 45 years of practice.  

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and its active form ubiquinol, take centre stage in this discussion, including Dr Ross Walker’s use of ubiquinol in cardiovascular disease (CVD), how ubiquinol can be used to reduce the side effects associated with statins, and the research showing CoQ10/ubiquinol to decrease all-cause mortality. 

Dr Walker talks much more than just ubiquinol, including the importance of measuring calcium coronary artery score in assessing cardiovascular risk, his well-tested protocol for lipoprotein (a), diabobesity and the impact of insulin resistance, and his not to be missed five keys of being healthy. 

There are practice pearls a plenty: when statins are necessary, the importance of lifestyle and diet interventions for heart health, and the real pandemic of our time; diabobesity. 

(00:57) Welcoming Dr Ross Walker

(02:24) CoQ10’s role in the body

(04:21) The difference between ubiquinol and ubiquinone

(06:23) When to use ubiquinol as supplementation

(09:33) The role of ubiquinol in skin ageing

(11:29) Testing of ubiquinol and other metabolic markers

(15:41) Supplementation

(18:28) CoQ10 for cognition and brain health

(21:40) Oxidative stress and antioxidant support

(27:50) Statins and the power of lifestyle medicine 

(42:35) Thanking Dr Walker and final remarks

Dr Ross Walker's 5 Keys of being Healthy 

1. Addiction free, in terms of no smoking, no drinking and no drugs.

2. Good quality sleep.

3. Eat less, eat more naturally, avoid white carbs and sugar.

4. Exercise 3-5 hours every week of moderate intensity, made up of 2/3rd cardio, 1/3rd resistance training.

5. Happiness is by far the best drug on the planet. 

Statin use has shown to decrease plasma ubiquinol by 45%. Studies have demonstrated that supplementing with 200-300 mg of ubiquinol alongside statins can negate some of the side-effects, allowing patients to tolerate the medication. 

Useful calculator: Relative fat mass (RFM) calculator
American Council on Exercise Body Far Percentage Categories 

• Women obese - 32% and higher 
• Men obese - 25% and higher  
• Male: 64 − (20 × height/waist circumference) = relative fat mass 
• Female: 64 − (20 × height/waist circumference) + 12 = relative fat mass 
• Above 32% for a female = overweight or obese, Above 25% for male = overweight or obese

Ubiquinone is the inactive CoQ10, which is metabolised to the active form- ubiquinol.  

Supplemental dosages:  

• For all patients with heart disease; CoQ10 150 mg/day.
• If they have heart failure due to the increased energy demands they need ubiquinol 300 mg/day.
• All patients on statins receive ubiquinol, as statins directly deplete CoQ10 by affecting Complex III in the mitochondrial energy production.
• Supplementing ubiquinol with magnesium orotate aspartate combination helps to maintain good CoQ10 production.  
• Patients presenting with long covid symptoms: ubiquinol 300 mg/day for a few months until symptoms improve, then on to a maintenance dose of ubiquinol 150 mg/day.

To assess if a patient is insulin resistant, markers needed:  

• Overnight fasting sugar 
• HbA1C 
• HDL levels
• Waist measurement