CoQ10 study backs heart health claims

Supplementation with the coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) may boost naturally occurring antioxidant enzymes and endothelial function in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

The randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial, published in the European Heart Journal, divided 38 CAD patients into two groups, with one receiving 100 mg/d of CoQ10 and the other a placebo for one month.

CAD reduces extracellular superoxide dismutase (ecSOD), a major antioxidant enzyme system of blood vessel walls. However, the CoQ10-supplemented group had more ecSOD at the end of the trail than the placebo group. The coenzyme also boosted endothelial function.

"The results of the present investigation indicate that the oral CoQ10 supplementation in CAD patients has beneficial effects, which can be ascribed either to the bioenergetic role of the quinone or to its antioxidant properties," the researchers wrote. "Moreover, recent data from our group demonstrated that the CoQ10 administration improves cardiac contractility in ischaemic heart disease patients, measured by low dobutamine stress echocardiography," they added.

Bonnie - while a small study, it adds to the ever-mounting evidence showing how beneficial CoQ10 is to cardiac function. However, one must always be cognizant that not all CoQ10 is created equal. There are wide variants in quality.