Coenzyme Q10 Usage

The exact effect of CoQ10 on congestive heart failure is not entirely clear. Some evidence suggests that CoQ10 might assist the heart during times of stress on the heart muscle, perhaps by helping it...

Read more about Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) and Coenzyme Q10.

The effects of CoQ10 on heart attacks and related conditions are not completely clear. Some evidence suggests that CoQ10 might assist the heart during times of stress on the heart muscle, perhaps by...

Read more about Heart Attack and Coenzyme Q 10 (CoQ 10 ).

It is not yet clear how CoQ10 helps lower blood pressure. The supplement is used for other cardiovascular conditions because, among other things, it might assist the heart during times of stress on...

Read more about Hypertension and Coenzyme Q10.

Although not all studies have been positive, some evidence supports the use of CoQ 10 for treating congestive heart failure . ¹ Keep in mind that CoQ 10 is taken along withconventional medications, not as a replacement for them.

Weaker evidence suggests that this supplement may be useful for heart attack recovery , ² cardiomyopathy , ^{3 4} hypertension , ⁵ diabetes , ⁶ strengthening the heart prior to heart surgery, ⁷ and migraine headaches . ⁸ Although CoQ 10 has been widely advertised as effective for treating and Parkinson's disease , in fact, there is only minimal evidence that it works, and some evidence that it does not work. ⁹ CoQ 10 has shown the potential to prevent heart damage and other side effects caused by certain types of cancer chemotherapy . ^{10 11} This evidence is weak, however, and as yet it cannot be stated with any certainty that CoQ 10 is actually helpful. ¹² CoQ 10 has shown some preliminary promise as an aid to the treatment of kidney failure. ¹³

Note:People with severe illnesses, such as heart disease, cancer, or kidney failure, should not use CoQ 10 , or any supplement, except under physician supervision.

Highly preliminary studies suggest CoQ 10 might be helpful for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis . ¹⁴ CoQ 10 has been tried but not found effective for the treatment of Huntington's disease. ¹⁵ Certain medications may interfere with the body's production of CoQ 10 , or partially block its function. The best evidence regards cholesterol-lowering drugs in the statin family, such as lovastatin (Mevacor), simvastatin (Zocor), and pravastatin (Pravachol), along with the supplement red yeast rice (which contains naturally occurring statins). These medications impair CoQ 10 synthesis as an inevitable side effect of their mechanism of action. ¹⁶ Since these drugs are used to protect the heart, and since CoQ 10 deficiency could in theory impair heart function, it has been suggested that this side effect may work against the intended purpose of taking statins. Furthermore, one might naturally guess that some of the side effects of statins could be caused by this induced CoQ 10 deficiency. However, studies designed to determine whether the use of CoQ ()supplements actually offers any benefit to people taking statins have returned inconsistent results at best. ¹⁷ For several other categories of drugs, the evidence that they interfere with CoQ 10 is provocative but even less reliable. These include oral diabetes drugs (especially glyburide, phenformin, and tolazamide), beta-blockers (specifically propranolol, metoprolol, and alprenolol), antipsychotic drugs in the phenothiazine family, tricyclic antidepressants , methyldopa , hydrochlorothiazide , clonidine , and hydralazine . ^{18 19 20 21 22} Again, while in theory CoQ 10 supplementation might be helpful for people using these medications, there is no direct evidence to support this hypothesis.

CoQ 10 has also been suggested as a performance enhancer for athletes. However, while one double-blind study of 25 highly trained cross-country skiers found some benefit, ²³ most studies evaluating potential sports supplement uses of CoQ 10 have returned negative rather than positive results. ^{24 25} CoQ 10 is also sometimes claimed to be an effective treatment for periodontal disease . However, the studies on which this idea is based are too flawed to be taken as meaningful. ²⁶ Even weaker evidence, far too weak to rely upon at all, hints that CoQ 10 might be useful in some cases of tinnitus (ringing in the ear).

One preliminary study of CoQ 10 for people undergoing treatment for HIV found conflicting results; the supplement appeared to improve general well-being, but it did not protect mitochondria (as the researchers had hoped it would) and actually seemed to worsen symptoms of nerve-related pain (peripheral neuropathy). ²⁷ Preliminary evidence, far too weak to be relied upon at all, has been used to suggest that coenzyme Q10 might be helpful for asthma , ²⁸ as well as reducing the side effects (specifically, cardiac toxicity) of the cancer chemotherapy drug doxorubicin . ²⁹ CoQ 10 has additionally been proposed as a treatment for a wide variety of other conditions, including angina , cancer , male infertility , muscular dystrophy, and obesity , but there is, as yet, no evidence that it is effective.