Can RYR supplements Potentially be Related to a High Risk of PD?

Red yeast rice (RYR or red Koji) is an ingredient in dietary supplements often used for people with dyslipidemia or with statin-intolerance. These supplements contain monacolin K (lovastatin). This 2017 study published by NCBI made a case-by-case assessment highlighting myopathies and liver injury as potential safety issues, thus suggesting that the safety profile of RYR is similar to statins. RYR is used in Chinese medicine as a natural statin to improves blood circulation by decreasing cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Certain studies have shown that statin use and a higher risk of PD are related and that PD symptoms appear to be stronger following use of statins. These findings raise the hypothesis that the safety profile of RYR is highly similar to that of synthetic statins and warrants further investigation to finally characterize the safety profile of RYR. The conclusion of this report is that the safety profile of RYR is similar to that of statins and the risk profile of these supplements needs to be examined and regulated.

Source: Adverse reactions to dietary supplements containing red yeast rice: assessment of cases from the Italian surveillance system