In a study published in April 2002, researchers from Cornell University investigated the potential usefulness of CoQ10 in animal models of Parkinson's disease, ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) and Huntington's disease. It was noted that CoQ10 significantly extended survival in the mouse model with Lou Gehrig's disease. It likewise significantly extended survival and delayed motor deficits in the animal model of Huntington's disease. In addition, it also showed efficacy for Parkinson's disease. CoQ10 is presently being studied as a potential treatment for early Parkinson's disease.

In another study published in November 2001 in the Southern Medical Journal, 83 men and women with isolated systolic hypertension were studied. It was a 12 week randomized, double-blinded controlled study with half the group being given 50 mg of CoQ10 twice daily. The results indicated that CoQ10 safely lowered systolic hypertension by as much as 18 mm of Hg. This is as good as some blood pressure drugs and without the side effects.

In the September, 2002 issue of the journal Allergy, CoQ10 levels were measured in patients with asthma. In recent years, free radical damage has been thought to underlie the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma. It has been speculated by some researchers that taking adequate doses of antioxidants can have a beneficial effect in patients with asthma. In the study from this journal, 56 men and women between the ages of 19 to 72 suffering with allergic asthma were enrolled. There was a control group of 25 healthy volunteers, ages 25 to 50. It was found that the concentrations of CoQ10 were significantly decreased in both plasma and whole blood of asthmatic sufferers compared with that of the healthy volunteers. The researchers speculated that sub-optimal concentrations of CoQ10 may play a possible contribution in patients with asthma and provide a rationale for its supplementation.

Other studies indicate benefits for immune system function. CoQ10 is an immune system booster and antioxidant that helps you to avoid getting cancer, and may be helpful in treating it. Coenzyme Q10 has demonstrated its potent anti-cancer properties. In the early 1970s, Dr. Karl Folkers began testing CoQ10 as a supplement for cancer patients and documented unexpectedly longer survival with CoQ10 use. CoQ10 has been found to protect against chemotherapy induced cardiac toxicity, specifically from Adriamycin, which is known to cause heart damage. Now a new series of studies are turning up some even more exciting news. CoQ10 may be able to halt cancer. Dr. William Campbell Douglass reports low levels of CoQ10 were found in women with breast cancer.and increased levels were associated with regression and remission. Among the studies, Dr. Karl Folkers of the University of Texas, Austin reports regression of breast cancer, not only at the original site, but even of cancer that had spread (metastasized) to the liver.

Coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinone) is a powerful antioxidant that protects the body from free radicals. As a coenzyme, this nutrient aids metabolic reactions, such as the complex process of transforming food into adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, the energy on which the body runs.
It appears that CoQ10 works by improving mitochondrial function and protecting them from oxidation. The mitochondria are basically the power plants in the cells. This includes heart cells and brain neurons. Mitochondria produce the energy molecule called ATP which is required by all cells to function. The brain and heart consume huge amounts of ATP. Many diseases of aging such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, heart disease, etc. are caused by the degeneration and death of the mitochondria.

The average diet provides only 1 mg per day. Usual supplementation is 100 mg per day.

If you take a cholesterol lowering statin drug (Lipitor, Zocor, Pravachol, Mevacor, etc.) which depletes your body's CoQ10, you should take at least 100 mg per day of CoQ10.

Congestive Heart Failure: When the heart sustains injury that weakens its pumping ability, a complicated physiological state called congestive heart failure (CHF) can develop. Fluid builds up in the lungs and lower extremities, the heart enlarges, and many symptoms develop, including severe fatigue, difficulty breathing while lying down, and altered brain function. Medical treatment for this condition is quite effective and sophisticated and consists of several drugs used in combination. However, adding the supplement CoQ10 to the standard treatment regimen appears to offer additional benefits.

People with CHF have significantly lower levels of CoQ10 in heart muscle cells than healthy people. Several double-blind studies have found that CoQ10 supplements can markedly improve symptoms and objective measurements of heart function when they are taken along with conventional medication. In the largest of these studies, 641 individuals with moderate to severe congestive heart failure were monitored for 1 year. Half were given 2 mg per kilogram body weight of CoQ10 daily; the rest were given placebo. Standard therapy was continued in both groups. The participants treated with CoQ10 experienced a significant reduction in the severity of their symptoms. No such improvement was seen in the placebo group. The people who took CoQ10 also had significantly fewer hospitalizations for heart failure.

The maximum safe dosages of CoQ10 for young children, pregnant or nursing women, or those with severe liver or kidney disease have not been determined.

One study suggests that CoQ10 might reduce blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. While this could potentially be helpful for treatment of diabetes, people with diabetes need to monitor blood sugar carefully, as glucose levels may go down with CoQ10 therapy.

CoQ10 might interfere with the anticoagulant effects of Coumadin (warfarin). If you are taking Coumadin, you should not take CoQ10 unless under a doctor's supervision. People taking warfarin should have their protimes monitored carefully.

CoQ10 should not be stopped suddenly, as worsening symptoms of heart failure may occur.

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