Of course, you should discuss any supplementation with your doctor, but here are some interesting findings. Coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10 is found in every cell. It is a powerful antioxidant and is vital for the production of energy in the cell. The cells of the heart muscle require a lot of energy, and a low level of CoQ10 is related to the severity of heart failure. A randomized controlled multicenter study, published in JACC Heart Failure (2014 Dec;2(6):641-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jchf.2014.06.008. Epub 2014 Oct 1), looked at CoQ10 as a possible adjunctive treatment for heart failure.
The subjects of the study were 420 patients with moderate to severe heart failure. For two years they were randomly assigned to receive either 100 mg. of CoQ10, 3x per day or a placebo. During the study, all subjects continued with standard therapy for heart failure.
Patients were evaluated at 16 weeks using the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification, 6-min walk test, and (NT)-pro hormone BNP (NT-proBNP) levels. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal (NT)-pro hormone BNP (NT-proBNP) are blood tests that are used to diagnose and monitor heart failure. BNP is a hormone produced by the heart and NT-proBNP is a prohormone (hormone precursor). Changes in pressure inside the heart affect the release of BNP and N-proBNP. At the end of 16 weeks, there was no significant difference between the placebo group and the CoQ10 group using the above parameter.
At the end of the two years, researchers looked at composite major adverse cardiovascular events as determined by a time to first event analysis. With respect to cardiovascular events, the CoQ10 group fared considerably better than the placebo group. In CoQ10 group, 15% of the subjects had major cardiovascular events compared to 26% in the placebo group. There was more cardiovascular mortality in the placebo group (16% vs. 9%). Overall mortality was higher in the placebo group (18% vs 10%). Also, the group receiving the CoQ10 had fewer hospital stays and scored significantly higher on the NYHA functional classification. The researchers concluded, ” Long-term CoQ10 treatment of patients with chronic HF is safe, improves symptoms, and reduces major adverse cardiovascular events.”
