As part of my my “portfolio career” starting to take shape last year, I reintroduced myself into pharmacy during 2025.
It was a very gradual re-start after a 15+ year break. I had to go back to the basics and re-learn the mechanisms of action for our most common pharmaceuticals.
If I am to dispense a medication, I want to truly know what I am handing over, and how it may affect the person in front of me.
🤓Going back to fundamentals has actually been very useful. It has helped me better understand why certain supplements may or may not be helpful, depending on what medication someone is taking. Functional medicine talks a lot about systems thinking and root causes, but to do that properly, you need to understand the basic biochemistry first.
Take statins, for example💊 .
Statins lower cholesterol by inhibiting an enzyme early in a chain of reactions to synthesize cholesterol. For people with elevated LDL cholesterol and increased cardiovascular risk, statins can be very important.
(A small side note on cholesterol in general: the discussion has become more nuanced over the years on if to avoid or not. For most people, dietary cholesterol, like the cholesterol in egg yolks, does not raise blood cholesterol as much as we once thought (1). I remember eating eggs with a bit of guilt when I was younger, sometimes even removing the yolk when making scrambled eggs. That seems slightly unnecessary in retrospect)
Anyway, back to statins. A relatively common side effect of stains is muscle ache. When I worked in the pharmacy 15 years ago, I simply informed patients of this and didn't think much more about it. But now I look closer 👀.
When we block the cholesterol pathway early, we also reduce the production of other substances formed along the same pathway. One of these is coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), which plays an important role in the cell’s energy production, including in muscle cells.
Statins are known to reduce circulating CoQ10 levels. Although this is complex and discussions are ongoing if this reduction is related to the muscle ache or not, I personally would supplement with CoQ10 if I was prescribed a statin (2).
The same logic applies to proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for gastric discomfort. The pH in the gut is low for a reason; it’s not a coincidence. The gut is acidic to support digestion and absorption of essential nutrients. If we suppress gastric acid for too long, we might impact vital functions.
Especially in elderly, or patients with poor nutritional status already, you might see depletion of iron, B12 and calcium to mention a few signs of nutritional impact.
While PPIs are fine for short-term use, taking them for years is something I would try to avoid (and rather start to hunt for the root cause of the gastric issues).
I don’t always wake up feeling that ageing is fantastic. But I do appreciate that perspective changes with time. I have become slightly slower, but also more reflective and maybe wiser.
For me, health has become more about sustainability than quick fixes. Understanding cause and effect. Making small adjustments that are realistic to maintain.
What are adjustments you want to make for your health this year? Once you have a goal you can start with that mini-step today. Like standing instead of sitting by your desk 20 min today?
One of my goals during 2026 is to walk more. I am not a big fan of walking (I prefer to run =)), but it does put me in much better mode during a busy working day. So I’ve set an ambition to walk 15–20 minutes during lunch minimum 3 days per week.
New for 2026 walking is that I’ll be doing it in flat shoes👟 ! A wise foot therapist I saw recently explained how my "fancy," expensive running shoes were actually immobilizing my feet. So my next step for sustainable health this spring is a simple, flat sole. I’ll report back on how it feels being more grounded to the path..☺️
Until then, I wish you a lovely week in the beautiful spring sun🌞 !
Åsa
1. Drouin-ChartierJP et. Al.. Egg consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease: three largeprospective US cohort studies, systematic review, and updated meta-analysis.BMJ. 2020 Mar 4;368:m513. doi: 10.1136/bmj.m513. PMID: 32132002; PMCID:PMC7190072.
2. Qu H et.al. Effects of Coenzyme Q10 on Statin-Induced Myopathy: An UpdatedMeta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. J Am Heart Assoc. 2018 Oct2;7(19):e009835.
