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Review
. 2019 Jul-Sep;15(3):185-191.
doi: 10.14797/mdcj-15-3-185.

Coenzyme Q10

Albert E Raizner  1
Affiliations
Review

Coenzyme Q10

Albert E Raizner. Methodist Debakey Cardiovasc J. 2019 Jul-Sep.

Abstract

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is among the most widely used dietary and nutritional supplements on the market. CoQ10 has several fundamental properties that may be beneficial in several clinical situations. This article reviews the pertinent chemical, metabolic, and physiologic properties of CoQ10 and the scientific data and clinical trials that address its use in two common clinical settings: statin-associated myopathy syndrome (SAMS) and congestive heart failure (CHF). Although clinical trials of CoQ10 in SAMS have conflicting conclusions, the weight of the evidence, as seen in meta-analyses, supports the use of CoQ10 in SAMS overall. In CHF, there is a lack of large-scale randomized clinical trial data regarding the use of statins in patients receiving contemporary treatment. However, one relatively recent randomized clinical trial, Q-SYMBIO, suggests an adjunctive role for CoQ10 in CHF. Recommendations regarding the use of CoQ10 in these clinical situations are presented.

Keywords: CoQ10; coenzyme Q10; congestive heart failure; statin myopathy; statin-associated muscle symptoms; ubiquinol; ubiquinone.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Disclosure: The author has completed and submitted the Methodist DeBakey Cardiovascular Journal Conflict of Interest Statement and none were reported.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
The three oxidative states of CoQ10: the fully reduced ubiquinol form (CoQ10H2), the radical semiquinone intermediate (CoQ10H.), and the fully oxidized ubiquinone form (CoQ10).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Forest plot for statin-associated muscle symptoms: Coenzyme Q10 versus placebo. CI: confidence interval; ID: study identification; WMD: weighted mean difference. Reprinted with permission.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Kaplan-Meyer estimates of (A) the time to primary end point (major adverse cardiac events, or MACE), and (B) secondary end point (death) in the Q-SYMBIO trial. MACE included cardiovascular death, mechanical support, hospital stay for worsening heart failure, and urgent cardiac transplantation. A specified secondary outcome was death from any cause. Reprinted with permission.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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