A substance found in most tissues in the body, and in many foods. It can also be made in the laboratory. It is used by the body to produce energy for cells, and as an antioxidant. It is being studied in the treatment of cancer and in the relief of side effects caused by some cancer treatments. Also called Q10, CoQ10, vitamin Q10, and ubiquinone.
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a biochemically established redox component of respiration including the coupled mechanisms of electron transfer and oxidative phosphorylation, is naturally present in the human myocardium. A double-blind and double- crossover trial has been conducted by administering CoQ10 and a matching placebo orally to two groups of patients having class III or IV cardiomyopathy (classification according to criteria of the New York Heart Association). Group A received CoQ10 and then placebo; group B received placebo and then CoQ10. Blood levels of CoQ10 and cardiac function were determined at 0 and 4 weeks (control stabilization period) and at 16 and 28 weeks (after the 12-week CoQ/placebo-treatment periods). For group A, significant increases in CoQ10 blood levels and cardiac function occurred during CoQ10 treatment and then decreased during crossover to placebo. For group B, there was no change in CoQ10 blood levels and cardiac function during placebo treatment, but increases in both parameters occurred in crossover to CoQ10. These patients, steadily worsening and expected to die within 2 years under conventional therapy, generally showed an extraordinary clinical improvement, indicating that CoQ10 therapy might extend the lives of such patients. This improvement could be due to correction of a myocardial deficiency of CoQ10 and to enhanced synthesis of CoQ10-requiring enzymes.
Supplementation
Because of its ability to transfer electrons and therefore act as an antioxidant, Coenzyme Q has become a fashionable dietary supplement.
Young people are able to make Q10 from the lower numbered ubiquinones such as Q6 or Q8. The sick and elderly may not be able to make enough. Q10 thus becomes a vitamin later in life and in illness.
Supplementation of Coenzyme Q10 has been found to have a beneficial effect on the condition of some sufferers of migraines, and is a common component of the "mito cocktail" used to treat mitochondrial disorders and other metabolic disorders. It is also being investigated as a treatment for cancer, and as relief from cancer treatment side effects.
Recent studies have suggested that
Coenzyme Q10
may act as an important antioxidant in the body and the brain. Some of these studies have indicated that Coenzyme Q10 may protect the brain from neurodegenerative disease such as Parkinsons and also from the damaging side effects of a transient ischemic attack (stroke) in the brain.
There has also been a recent study showing a survival benefit after cardiac arrest if Coenzyme Q10 is administered in addition to commencing active cooling (to 32–34 degrees Celsius). Research indicates the importance of the antioxidant properties of coenzyme Q10 in reducing age-related skin issues, with results such as decreased wrinkle depths and increased oxidation levels.
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Coenzyme Q10
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