Benefits of Co Enzyme Q-10 Supplementation in Cardiovascular Health

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Benefits of Co Enzyme Q-10 Supplementation in Cardiovascular Health JoAnn

Guest Jun 28, 2005 14:28 PDT

 

 

Co Enzyme Q10 (Co Q10) is a nutritional supplement used around the world

as a heart energizer. Researchers found that in most of the cases of

heart problems, there was an associated deficiency of CoQ10. On the

corollary, all the well functioning hearts had an adequate amount of

CoQ10 in the tissue. Furthermore, when supplemental CoQ10 was

administered, the ailing hearts started showing signs of new life.

 

Experts say that adequate levels of CoQ10 is necessary for a well

functioning system. When the levels of CoQ10 drops below optimum levels,

disease takes over or already had done so.

 

What Is Co Q10?

 

Coenzyme Q-10, also known as ubiquinol-10, is a strong antioxidant. Like

vitamins, it is a nutrient your body must take in to feed your cells so

your body can operate at an optimum level. It is present in very small

amounts in food, notably seafood, and is produced by all cells of the

body. Japanese scientists have synthesized CoQ-10 into a raw material

that is put into supplements.

 

Coenzymes are vital participants in many of the ongoing chemical

reactions in our bodies that are the very essence of life. These

chemical reactions provide our body's cells with energy from food. These

chemical reactions allow cells to grow and divide, promoting growth in

children and tissue repair in adults. They also allow our bodies to

quickly build up a supply of infection-fighting immune cells when

necessary.

 

Coenzyme Q10 is an essential ingredient in the body's production of

energy and in the normal metabolism of fat and energy. It participates

in biochemical reactions in our bodies that provide energy. It is of

extreme benefit to sufferers of angina. It prevents the accumulation of

fatty acids within the heart muscle by improving the conversion of fatty

acids and other compounds into energy. When a person is suffering from

cardiomyopathy and other kinds of heart failure, the supplements of

coenzyme Q10 are thought to help the remaining muscle cells do their

jobs more efficiently.

 

Coenzyme Q10 is manufactured by the body and stored in your organs:

liver, kidneys and heart. It is believed that, in our body, the vitamins

such as niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C and folate assist our

body to convert the amino acid tyrosine to coenzyme Q10.

 

Many of the elderly may have increased CoQ10 requirements; the decline

of CoQ10 levels that occurs with age may be partly responsible for the

age-related deterioration of the immune system.

 

CoQ10 deficiency is common among individuals with heart disease. Heart

tissue biopsies in patients with various heart diseases show a CoQ10

deficiency in fifty to seventy- five percent of cases. Furthermore,

cardiovascular diseases, including angina, hypertension, mitral valve

prolapse, and congestive heart failure, require increased tissue levels

of CoQ10.

 

Is Coenzyme Q10 Good for Your Heart?

 

A growing number of nutrition oriented doctors say that supplements of

Co Q10 are absolutely essential for people with heart failure. Co Q10

was said to have several patients who used it to live longer, more

active lives, has saved some people who would otherwise have died

waiting for donor hearts and has even allowed some to take their names

off the transplant list.

 

Coenzyme Q10 and CHF

 

More than fifty major articles have been published in reputable medical

journals worldwide in the last ten years on the use of coQ-10 for heart

disease, primarily congestive heart failure.

 

Studies at the University of Texas at Austin showed that 75 percent of

heart patients have severe deficiencies of CoQ10 in heart tissue

compared with healthy individuals. They have also found that taking

coenzyme Q-10 significantly benefited three-fourths of a group of

elderly patients with congestive heart failure.

 

In one of the early studies, seventeen patients with mild congestive

heart failure received 30 mg of CoQ10 per day along with conventional

drug therapy. All patients improved, and nine (fifty-three percent)

became asymptomatic after four weeks.

 

In another study, twenty patients with congestive heart failure, due

either to atherosclerosis or high blood pressure, were treated with

CoQ10 at a dosage of 30 mg/day for one to two months. Fifty-five percent

of the patients reported subjective improvement, fifty percent showed a

decrease in New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification, and thirty

percent showed a " remarkable " decrease in chest congestion, as seen on

chest X rays. Improvements recorded in patients given Co Q10 include

increased cardiac output, stroke volume, cardiac index, and ejection

fraction. CoQ10 produces an increased force of heart muscle contraction.

The increase in the force of contraction produced by CoQ10 is similar

to, but less potent than, digitalis. (Please note that the levels of Co

Q10 used are not sufficient to show a marked effect for heart disease.

That may explain the lackluster performance.)

 

Other studies have shown that CoQ10 significantly improves heart

function in patients with CHF. In a Scandinavian double blind study of

eighty CHF patients, participants were given either CoQ10 (100 mg/day)

or a placebo for three months. The roles were switch. In other words,

those taking CoQ10 were then given the placebo, and vice versa. The

improvements noted with CoQ10 were significant; the results were more

positive than those obtained from conventional drug therapy alone.

 

In another double-blind study, 641 CHF patients received either CoQ10 (2

mg/kg of body weight) or a placebo for one year. The number of patients

who required hospitalization or who experienced serious consequences due

to CHF was significantly reduced in the CoQ10 group compared to the

placebo group.

 

In an Italian study involving a total of 2,664 patients with mild to

moderate CHF, the participants 50 to 150 mg of Co Q10 orally per day for

ninety days. (The majority of patients (seventy-eight percent) received

100 mg per day.) After three months of CoQ10 treatment, the percentages

of patients with improvement in clinical signs and symptoms were as

follows:

 

Sweating 79.8 percent

Edema (fluid retention) 78.6 percent

Cyanosis (purple hue of skin) 78.1 percent

Pulmonary edema 77.8 percent

Heart palpitations 75.4 percent

Vertigo 73.1 percent

Venous congestion 71.8 percent

Subjective arrhythmia 63.4 percent

Insomnia 62.8 percent

Nighttime urination 53.6 percent

Shortness of breath 52.7 percent

Enlargement of the liver area 49.3 percent

 

Improvement of at least three symptoms occurred in fifty-four percent of

patients, showing a significantly improved quality of life with CoQ10

supplementation. The results also showed a low incidence of side

effects: only thirty-six patients (1.5 percent) reported mild side

effects attributed to CoQ10.

 

Extensive Japanese research has found that about 70 percent of patients

improved on CoQ-10.

 

Several studies, mostly from Japan, have looked at coenzyme Q10's role

in cardiovascular disease. They include two double-blind,

placebo-controlled studies, which are considered the most reliable. The

studies showed that coenzyme Q10 has clinical benefits for 70 percent of

the patients having congestive heart failure. Coenzyme Q10 is normally

concentrated in the heart muscle. Its levels drop when the heart begins

to fail.

 

Reported research from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine

showed that using CoQ10 by patients with congestive heart failure helped

more than 70 percent of them. The data comes from treating thousands of

patients. Researchers believe that the situations, Co Q10 hasn't helped

is because of inadequate doses or using products with insufficient

potency. They say that to be effective, you should take a dose of Co Q10

sufficient to substantially raise the blood levels of CoQ-10. If that

happens, they believe that all heart patients would benefit from Co Q10

supplementation.

 

Co Q10 and Angina

 

Return of blood flow (reperfusion) after coronary artery bypass surgery

greatly increases the risk of subsequent coronary artery disease because

of oxidative damage to the vascular endothelium and myocardium. Coenzyme

Q10 is believed to prevent such oxidative damage after bypass surgery or

angioplasty. In one clinical study, forty patients undergoing elective

surgery either served in the control group or received 150 mg of CoQ10

each day for seven days before the surgery. The concentrations of lipid

peroxides and the enzyme creatine kinase, indicators of the myocardial

damage, were significantly lower in patients who received CoQ10 than in

the control group. The patients who received Co Q10 treatment also

showed a statistically significant lower incidence of ventricular

arrhythmias during the recovery period. The results clearly demonstrated

that pretreatment with CoQ10 can play a protective role during routine

bypass surgery by reducing oxidative damage.

 

In another study, twelve patients with stable angina pectoris were

treated with CoQ10 (150 mg/day for four weeks). The frequency of anginal

attacks was reduced by fifty-three percent compared to those receiving a

placebo. In addition, there was a significant increase in treadmill

exercise tolerance during CoQ10 treatment.

 

CoQ10 and Mitral Valve Prolapse

 

CoQ10 has also been shown to be quite helpful in cases of symptomatic

mitral valve prolapse. In one study with 16 children, half received

CoQ10 (2 mg/kg of body weight) each day for eight weeks, and the other

half received a placebo. Heart function became normal in seven of the

eight CoQ10-treated patients (87.5 percent), and in none (0 percent) of

the placebo-treated patients. Relapse frequently occurred in patients

who stopped taking the medication within twelve to seventeen months, but

rarely occurred in those who took CoQ10 for eighteen months or more.)

 

CoQ10 and Cardiomyopathy

 

A deficiency of CoQ10 has been found in the blood and heart tissue of

most patients who have cardiomyopathy. CoQ10 supplementation can raise

CoQ10 levels and produce improvements in heart function as a result of

improved energy production by the heart muscle.

 

Several double-blind studies in patients with various cardiomyopathies

have shown significant benefit with CoQ10 supplementation. In one

double-blind trial, daily administration of 100 mg of CoQ10 for twelve

weeks increased cardiac ejection fraction significantly, reduced

shortness of breath, and increased muscle strength. These improvements

lasted as long as the patients were continuously treated. However,

cardiac function deteriorated when CoQ10 was discontinued, indicating

that individuals with cardiomyopathy may need to be on CoQ10

indefinitely. Seventy one patients out of 80 patients treated

(eighty-nine percent) improved while taking CoQ10.

 

CoQ-10, is now a drug of choice in many countries. It is " routinely "

given to patients with congestive heart failure in Israeli hospitals.

Japanese doctors have used CoQ-10 for cardiac problems for more than

thirty years. It is now among the top six pharmaceutical agents used in

Japan. It is prescribed for heart failure in Italy.

 

From Death's Door to Recovery: Story of a Co Q10 Miracle

 

In October 1994 Susan appeared to be dying of heart failure. She was

miserable. She could barely sit up. She had difficulty breathing. She

felt very tired and fatigued. She had swelling in her lungs. She was too

old for heart transplant. Her doctors had basically given up. She had

been treated with all the traditional medicines and she was not showing

any signs of improvement. Her family didn't think she would make it to

Thanksgiving (in November). She couldn't even move in a wheel chair.

 

Susan was suffering from high blood pressure for several years. Susan

was also diagnosed with congestive heart failure . She was on a variety

of drugs including ACE inhibitors and increasing doses of diuretics. She

had a very active life. But, during the last six months, her condition

had progressively deteriorated to the life-threatening stage.

 

Susan was being treated in the Manchester (Connecticut) Memorial

Hospital. The diagnosis was severe congestive heart failure. According

to her attending physician, she was suffering from end stage cardiac

cachexia -severe weakness and weight loss. At age seventy-nine, Susan

weighed a mere 77 pounds. Her heart's ejection fraction (a measure of

the pumping ability of the heart) had fallen to a mere 10 to 15 percent

(normal is 50 to 70 percent). This meant that very little blood and

oxygen were getting to her vital organs.

 

Dr. Sinatra, Susan's cardiologist, felt that Susan was a good candidate

for Co Q10 supplementation. On his advice, Susan started taking 30

milligrams of coenzyme Q-10 three times a day in addition to her heart

medications.

 

Unfortunately, the Co Q10 supplementation does not seem to be working.

Susan's condition continued to deteriorate rapidly.

 

In February 1995, Susan was near death. Fluid had built up in her lungs

and abdomen. She had great difficulty breathing. Her body appeared to be

shutting down.

 

In March 1995, a miracle happened largely from a mistake. Her son,

instead of picking up a bottle of 30-milligram CoQ-10 capsules at the

health food store, accidentally picked up a bottle of 100-milligram

CoQ-10 capsules. She was now taking 300 milligrams of CoQ-10 a day

without realizing it - more than triple her recommended dose.

 

In April 1995, one month after Susan started taking the higher dose of

Co Q10 supplementation, she had improved so dramatically that she got up

and went to her son's house for Easter dinner! Her family was

dumbfounded and elated. Susan's energy was back. The swelling in her

legs was going down. The fluid in her lungs was gone. The CoQ-10 was

working!

 

Susan continued to improve. By June her heart's ejection fraction was up

to 20 percent. There was also markedly less " mitral and tricuspid

regurgitation " - leakage and backflow of blood into the heart's upper

chambers. This made the heart's pumping more efficient and lessened

fluid buildup in the tissue.

 

By October, Susan was out shopping. In November, she started going to

church again. In December Susan traveled to visit her daughter for the

first time in a year and a half. She continued to take 300 milligrams of

coQ10 every day.

 

Excerpted from Miracle Cures by Gene Carper

 

 

 

Recommended Dosage

 

To be effective, you need to take enough Co Q10 to significantly raise

its level in the blood to see any beneficial effect. The amount needed

to do that varies among individuals, and also depends on the potency or

" bioavailability " of the coQ-10 used. Some people get a good rise with

100 milligrams, whereas others need two or three times that much to

attain the same blood level. Taking too little of this supplement won't

help you.

 

A typical dose for heart disease is 50 to 150 milligrams a day. However

when heart failure is severe, up to 360 milligrams a day taken in doses

of no more than 180 milligrams at a time may be needed. Experts say that

" the sicker the cardiac patient, the weaker the heart, the higher the Co

Q- 10 dose needs to be. "

 

Some researchers recommend 2 milligrams of CoQ-10 for each kilogram of

body weight (0.9 milligrams for each pound of bodyweight).

 

Co Q10 is fat soluble. To be effective, it must be taken with some fat

for absorption. Take it with a little peanut butter or olive oil. If

possible, take Co Q10 in the form of soft gel capsules. They are better

than dry capsules or tablets.

 

Dosage is determined by measuring blood levels of coenzyme Q10.

 

Generally, people who have heart failure begin to see an improvement in

symptoms in about four weeks, although some people may take as long as

three months. Maximum improvement occurs after six months, which is

longer than ordinary drugs take to exhibit an effect. Once started, you

must take coQ-10 continually to maintain its heart-strengthening

benefits.

 

Safety

 

Co Q10 is very safe. In a large Italian study, 22 out of 2,664 patients

reported mild side effects. This comes out to be less than 1 percent.

The typical side effect reported is mild transient nausea. No toxicity

has been found, even at high doses, in animals or humans.

 

Important Caution:

 

CoQ-10 is not a substitute for conventional drugs. It is usually used

along with conventional therapy for best results. You should do this

only under the supervision of your doctor. Heart failure is a serious

condition that should not be self-diagnosed or self-medicated. If you

have serious heart disease, always consult a doctor for the proper

course of treatment.

 

http://holistic-online.com/Remedies/Heart/heart_CoQ10.htm

_________________

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

DietaryTi-

www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Genes

 

 

 

 

AIM Barleygreen

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