Coenzyme Q10 improves blood pressure and glycaemic control: a controlled trial in subjects with type 2 diabetes

Abstract

Objective: Our objective was to assess effects of dietary supplementation with coenzyme Q10 (CoQ) on blood pressure and glycaemic control in subjects with type 2 diabetes, and to consider oxidative stress as a potential mechanism for any effects.

Subjects and design: Seventy-four subjects with uncomplicated type 2 diabetes and dyslipidaemia were involved in a randomised double blind placebo-controlled 2x2 factorial intervention.

Setting: The study was performed at the University of Western Australia, Department of Medicine at Royal Perth Hospital, Australia.

Interventions: Subjects were randomly assigned to receive an oral dose of 100 mg CoQ twice daily (200 mg/day), 200 mg fenofibrate each morning, both or neither for 12 weeks.

Main outcome measures: We report an analysis and discussion of the effects of CoQ on blood pressure, on long-term glycaemic control measured by glycated haemoglobin (HbA(1c)), and on oxidative stress assessed by measurement of plasma F2-isoprostanes.

Results: Fenofibrate did not alter blood pressure, HbA(1c), or plasma F2-isoprostanes. There was a 3-fold increase in plasma CoQ concentration (3.4+/-0.3 micro mol/l, P<0.001) as a result of CoQ supplementation. The main effect of CoQ was to significantly decrease systolic (-6.1+/-2.6 mmHg, P=0.021) and diastolic (-2.9+/-1.4 mmHg, P=0.048) blood pressure and HbA(1c) (-0.37+/-0.17%, P=0.032). Plasma F2-isoprostane concentrations were not altered by CoQ (0.14+/-0.15 nmol/l, P=0.345).

Conclusions: These results show that CoQ supplementation may improve blood pressure and long-term glycaemic control in subjects with type 2 diabetes, but these improvements were not associated with reduced oxidative stress, as assessed by F2-isoprostanes.

Sponsorship: This study was supported by a grant from the NH&MRC, Australia.