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Review
. 2025 Aug 20.
doi: 10.1007/s00228-025-03904-9. Online ahead of print.

The effect of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on depressive symptoms and anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Rami Akwan  1 , Muhammad M Elsharkawy  2 , Azzam Zrineh  3 , Areen Amleh  3 , Bashar Douden  3 , Mays Alhouseini  3 , Layla Alsaeed  3 , Mohamed Eldesouki  4   5
Affiliations
Review

The effect of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on depressive symptoms and anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Rami Akwan et al. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. .

Abstract

Background: Anxiety and depression are major global health concerns that can manifest as primary disorders or as comorbid symptoms alongside other medical conditions. Due to the troubling side effects and treatment resistance associated with conventional pharmacological interventions, therapeutic agents that target oxidative stress and inflammation, such as CoQ10, have been considered.

Objective: To quantitatively evaluate the effect of CoQ10 on symptoms of depression and anxiety across different clinical populations.

Methods: We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and comprehensively searched relevant databases up to March 2025. The primary outcomes were depression and anxiety symptoms measured by different validated scales. We estimated pooled effect estimates using standardized mean differences (SMDs) and applying random-effects models.

Results: We identified seven small trials with up to 400 patients meeting the eligibility criteria, of which six studies were included in the meta-analysis. CoQ10 demonstrated significant improvement in depression severity compared to placebo in trials using the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) 6-8 weeks after treatment initiation (3 trials, 158 patients, std. mean difference [95% CI] -0.97 [-1.49, -0.45]), and at low daily doses (3 trials, 193 patients, -0.84 [-1.54, -0.14]). No significant effects were observed in trials using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) (3 trials, 146 patients, -0.12 [-0.68, 0.43]). Regarding anxiety severity, only two small studies were analyzed, and no statistically significant reduction was observed with CoQ10 (101 patients, -0.28 [-0.70, 0.13]).

Conclusion: Our analysis provided limited evidence that CoQ10 may improve depressive symptoms when administered in low doses (100-200 mg/day) and for short durations (6-8 weeks). More data is needed for a reliable assessment of the effects of Coenzyme Q10 on both depression and anxiety.

Keywords: Anxiety; CoQ10; Coenzyme Q10; Depression.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and Consent to Participation: N/A. Consent for Publication: N/A. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

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