Coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10, is one of the antioxidants found in all human cells and it is fat-soluble. Endogenous CoQ10 can be found in highest level in the liver, heart, pancreas and kidney. Ubiquinone and ubiquinol are the two different forms of CoQ10 present in the body. Ubiquinol is considered as the active form because ubiquinone has to be converted to ubiquinol for absorption and utilisation by the body.
Some of the fundamental roles of CoQ10 include energy production, antioxidant, prevention of cell damage and inhibition of free-radical generation.
Human body can produce CoQ10 naturally but its levels can be decreased by several factors. For example, its rate of production declines with age and this leads to significant decrease of CoQ10 levels in the body, this may contribute to
onset of age-related conditions like heart disease and cognitive decline.
Symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, and seizures have been reported in the cases of CoQ10 deficiency¹. In adults, this problem can be treated with 150 – 2400mg daily in up to three divided doses. In children, 30mg/kg, or 60 – 250mg daily in up to three divided doses has been used²-⁴.
Clinical studies show that physical performance seems to be improved with daily intake of 100mg oral CoQ10 for 3 months compared with placebo in some patients with various muscular dystrophies⁵.
Clinical study shows that by taking 300 – 400mg daily of oral CoQ10 for 40 days to 3 months can help to improve pain by 24% – 56%, fatigue by 22% – 47%, morning tiredness by 56%, sleep disturbances by 33% and tender points by 44% in women with fibromyalgia when compared with placebo. Due to improvements in fibromyalgia physical symptoms, patients can also experience improvement in psychological symptoms, including depression and anxiety⁶⁻⁸.
It is found that heart failure is associated with low levels of CoQ10 and its levels might act as the predictor of mortality⁹. Meta-analysis of clinical research shows that in addition to conventional therapy, 30 – 300mg, or 2mg/kg of CoQ10 being taken orally daily in two or three divided doses for up to 2 years helps to improve exercise capacity, reduce hospitalisations, and reduce mortality by 31% when compared with placebo¹⁰.
Symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, and seizures have been reported in the cases of CoQ10 deficiency¹. In adults, this problem can be treated with 150 – 2400mg daily in up to three divided doses. In children, 30mg/kg, or 60 – 250mg daily in up to three divided doses has been used²-⁴.
Clinical studies show that physical performance seems to be improved with daily intake of 100mg oral CoQ10 for 3 months compared with placebo in some patients with various muscular dystrophies⁵.
Clinical study shows that by taking 300 – 400mg daily of oral CoQ10 for 40 days to 3 months can help to improve pain by 24% – 56%, fatigue by 22% – 47%, morning tiredness by 56%, sleep disturbances by 33% and tender points by 44% in women with fibromyalgia when compared with placebo. Due to improvements in fibromyalgia physical symptoms, patients can also experience improvement in psychological symptoms, including depression and anxiety⁶⁻⁸.
It is found that heart failure is associated with low levels of CoQ10 and its levels might act as the predictor of mortality⁹. Meta-analysis of clinical research shows that in addition to conventional therapy, 30 – 300mg, or 2mg/kg of CoQ10 being taken orally daily in two or three divided doses for up to 2 years helps to improve exercise capacity, reduce hospitalisations, and reduce mortality by 31% when compared with placebo¹⁰.
Taking 60mg CoQ10 twice daily within 72 hours of MI seems to reduce the risk of non-fatal MI and cardiac death, by 52% when administered for 28 days and by 45% when administered for up to one year¹¹,¹². In patients with recent MI who received cardiopulmonary resuscitation, clinical study shows that 250mg loading dose of CoQ10 solution followed by 150mg three times daily through a nasogastric tube for 5 days improves the 3-month survival rate by 134% when compared with placebo¹³.
Taking 100 – 150mg coenzyme Q10 daily decreases the frequency of headaches by up to 50%. CoQ10 may help to render the attack of migraine and reduce symptoms of nausea, photophobia, and phonophobia.¹⁴ Studies showed that dosage of 300 – 400mg of CoQ10 daily is effective in improving frequency, severity, and duration of attackof migraine.¹⁵,¹⁶
CoQ10 is generally well tolerated. However, some of the common adverse effects can happen in less than 1% of patients and these are appetite suppression, diarrhoea, epigastric discomfort, heartburn, nausea, and vomiting. Some of these adverse effects can be minimised if daily doses above 100mg are divided.
There is no established ideal dose of CoQ10. Doses of CoQ10 ranging from 50mg to 1,200mg have been used in adults, which can be divided into few doses daily. A typical daily dose is 100mg to 200mg. Follow the instructions on the label or get advice from a doctor or pharmacist.
CoQ10 is generally well tolerated. However, some of the common adverse effects can happen in less than 1% of patients and these are appetite suppression, diarrhoea, epigastric discomfort, heartburn, nausea, and vomiting. Some of these adverse effects can be minimised if daily doses above 100mg are divided.
There is no established ideal dose of CoQ10. Doses of CoQ10 ranging from 50mg to 1,200mg have been used in adults, which can be divided into few doses daily. A typical daily dose is 100mg to 200mg. Follow the instructions on the label or get advice from a doctor or pharmacist.
The material is prepared for informational purposes only and should not be construed as a piece of personal medical advice. Owing to each person’s varying health needs, a physician should be consulted before acting on any information provided in this material. Although every effort is made to ensure that this material is accurate, it is compiled for internal use only and should not be considered definitive. Neither VitaHealth nor its employees, or information providers shall be responsible or liable for any errors, inaccuracies, or other defects in the information contained in this publication.
Coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10, is one of the antioxidants found in all human cells and it is fat-soluble. Endogenous CoQ10 can be found in highest
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