Coenzyme Q10 Health Article

Description

Coenzyme Q₁₀ is a fat-soluble nutrient also known as CoQ₁₀, vitamin Q₁₀, ubidecarenone, or ubiquinone. It is a natural product of the human body that is primarily found in the mitochondria, which are the cellular organelles that produce energy. It occurs in most tissues of the human body; however, the highest concentrations are found in the heart, liver, kidneys, and pancreas. Ubiquinone takes its name from a combination of the word ubiquitous, meaning something that is found everywhere, and quinone 10. Quinones are substances found in all plants and animals. The variety found in humans has a 10-unit side chain in its molecular structure. Apart from the important process that provides energy, CoQ₁₀ also stabilizes cell membranes and acts as an antioxidant. In this capacity, it destroys free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can damage normal cells.

General use

CoQ₁₀ is used extensively in Canada, Western Europe, Japan, and Russia to treat congestive heart failure. It is available as a prescription medication almost everywhere it is sold, although it is sold over-the-counter as a nutritional supplement in the United States. Some studies have shown it to be effective for as many as 70% of patients with congestive heart failure. It appears to improve patient health and wellbeing, and to increase cardiac efficiency. The dosage generally recommended for this condition is 100–300 mg a day, preferably in divided doses. According to Dr. Karl Folkers in Prevention's Healing with Vitamins, it takes one to three months to achieve desired results from supplementation, and as long as six months to attain maximum benefit.

CoQ₁₀ may also help people with some forms of cardiomyopathy. Patients should consult their physician about the possible benefits of supplementation for this condition.

The usefulness of CoQ₁₀ in lowering blood pressure is not well documented. One study suggests that the supplement is helpful for hypertension, but the results are in question as it was not a double-blind, controlled research project. The dose recommended is 200–250 mg a day, with results taking several months to appear. It is possible that some patients with essential hypertension who are initially low in CoQ₁₀ may eventually be able to decrease the amount of their other blood pressure medications. This must be done under the care of a health care provider.

Oral supplementation of CoQ₁₀ has been shown to improve periodontal disease, as it decreases the size of abnormally deep pockets in the gums, and also reduces the extent of bacterial contamination. Other possible benefits of CoQ₁₀ are to decrease angina symptoms, improve immune function in patients with AIDS and other immune deficiencies, improve control of blood sugar, lower cholesterol, improve physical stamina, and help people with muscular dystrophy and Huntington's disease. A group of researchers at the University of California at San Diego reported in 2002 that coenzyme Q₁₀ appears to slow the progress of Parkinson's disease, Friedreich's ataxia, and other conditions marked by degeneration of the central nervous system. The supplement can also reduce the toxicity of some types of chemotherapy. Doxorubicin, a chemotherapeutic agent, is known to sometimes damage the heart. Concomitant supplementation seems to reduce this toxic effect. The possible benefits of CoQ₁₀ should be discussed with a nutritionally-oriented health care provider.

Since 1961, when it was first noticed that cancer patients in Sweden and the United States had low levels of the enzyme, coenzyme Q₁₀ has been studied as a possible cancer treatment. Researchers believe that coenzyme Q₁₀ may protect against cancer by stimulating the immune system, and functioning as an antioxidant. Although animal studies have been conducted, as of early 2004 no report of a randomized clinical trial involving human subjects whose survival times were lengthened by using coenzyme Q₁₀ in addition to a traditional cancer treatment has been reported in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

Deficiency

Patients with certain conditions tend to have lower levels of CoQ₁₀, and may benefit from supplements. Some diseases that are associated with decreased amounts of this nutrient are AIDS, chronic fatigue, congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy, and inflammatory gum disease. Levels of CoQ₁₀ tend to decrease with age; tests for its presence in the body are not widely available. Adverse effects from this supplement are rare and mild, so anyone suffering from one of the listed conditions should consider discussing supplementation with a health care provider.