Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a versatile compound with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. It is crucial to energy generation at the cellular level, and its depletion leads to fatigue, muscle weakness, neuroinflammation, and increased cardiometabolic risk.
CoQ10 production in the body declines with age and the use of statin drugs, which interfere with its synthesis. Genetic factors can interfere with its production as well. Low CoQ10 levels are associated with atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, heart failure, neurodegeneration, muscle pain and weakness, inflammation, and oxidation. High CoQ10 levels are associated with high-dose supplementation.
Standard Range: Above 0.35 ug/mL
The ODX Range: Above 2.5 ug/mL
Low CoQ10 is associated with fatigue (Tsai 2022), energy depletion (Rabanal-Ruiz 2021), fibromyalgia, cancer, mitochondrial disorders, headaches, migraines (Sood 2024), oxidative stress, inflammation, aging, statin use, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, heart failure, myocardial infarction, chronic kidney disease, hypertension, neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s diseases, muscular dystrophy (Testai 2021), statin‐associated muscle symptoms (SAMSs), cardiac and skeletal muscle CoQ10 depletion (Qu 2018), mitochondrial deficiency syndrome, lipid peroxidation, LDL oxidation, atherosclerosis, lower cholesterol levels, compromised skeletal muscle function, and reduced physical activity (Hernandez-Camacho 2018).
Low CoQ10 is also associated with multiple system atrophy (MSA) (Mitsui 2023), liver disease, type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, critical illness, cerebellar ataxia, primary deficiency due to genetic factors, and secondary deficiency due to chronic disease or pharmaceutical intervention (Hargreaves 2020).
High CoQ10 may be associated with excessive supplementation. Supplementation with 1,200 – 1,500 mg/day of CoQ10 is generally considered safe and well-tolerated. Higher doses may be used under medical supervision.
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a naturally occurring lipid-soluble antioxidant produced in the body and consumed in small amounts in food. It is essential for energy metabolism and antioxidant protection. CoQ10 is found throughout the body with the highest concentrations in the mitochondria, particularly in the heart, liver, and kidney, which are highly metabolic organs. CoQ10 levels decrease with age and shift to a more oxidized state, decreasing CoQ10’s antioxidant capacity, especially in the heart and pancreas. Declining CoQ10 levels contribute to cardiovascular disease and impaired blood vessel function. Statin drugs deplete CoQ10 by inhibiting the HMG-CoA reductase enzyme that produces both cholesterol and CoQ10. Statin-induced depletion contributes to oxidative stress, arterial stiffness, and other adverse effects (Rabanal-Ruiz 2021).
Small amounts of CoQ10 are found in food, including fatty fish, soy, and spinach. A Mediterranean-style diet can provide 5 mg/day (Testai 2021). CoQ10 is also found in meat, dairy, eggs, oils, and legumes. It is best absorbed with a source of fat. CoQ10 is consumed in its oxidized ubiquinone CoQ10 form and converted to its fully reduced ubiquinol form in the small intestine; 95% of circulating CoQ10 is in the ubiquinol form (Sood 2024). However, normal CoQ10 metabolism depends on continual inter-conversion between ubiquinone and ubiquinol. In general, CoQ10 production peaks at age 25 and decreases by 50% by age 65. It can be depleted earlier by chronic disease, genetic factors, and pharmaceutical drugs. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is the primary carrier of circulating CoQ10, and LDL depletion can reduce CoQ10 levels (Hargreaves 2020).
The ubiquinol form of CoQ10 participates in energy generation via the mitochondrial electron transfer chain and is a potent antioxidant, scavenging cell membrane free radicals. Ubiquinol inhibits LDL oxidation more effectively than other antioxidants like beta-carotene or vitamin E. It can also regenerate other antioxidants, including vitamin C and E. Prolonged CoQ10 supplementation is considered safe and well-tolerated and can effectively increase plasma levels to 3-5 ug/mL with 300 mg/day doses. Benefits of supplementation include (Rabanal-Ruiz 2021):
Repletion of CoQ10 usually requires supplementation to reach therapeutic levels. The normal blood level of CoQ10 is 1 ug/mL, which can be increased to a potentially therapeutic level of 2 ug/mL with at least 100 mg of CoQ10 daily. CoQ10 extracted from living tissues is more expensive than that produced in the laboratory by fermentation, which yields consistent quality and cheaper supplements (Sood 2024):
CoQ10 levels may need to reach at least 2.5 ug/mL to be of benefit in heart failure (Mantle 2023). A dose of 200 mg taken twice daily may be needed to achieve a therapeutic blood level above 2.5 ug/mL. Cardiac trials often use a dose of 100-400 mg/day, while studies of neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, may use much higher doses of 600-3,000 per day (Raizner 2019). Supplementation with 100-200 mg/day of CoQ10 significantly reduced systolic blood pressure and increased circulating CoQ10 by 1.62 ug/mL, according to a meta-analysis of 26 studies (Zhao 2022).
The Q-SYMBIO study investigating adjunct CoQ10 supplementation in heart failure found that 100 mg of CoQ10 thrice daily for two years significantly reduced cardiac-related deaths and all-cause mortality. Better patient compliance with supplementation and achieving a blood level of CoQ10 of 3.4 ug/mL at three months and 3.6 ug/mL at two years resulted in significant reductions in major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). It significantly improved left ventricular ejection fraction, compared to lower compliance and achieving a level of 3 ug/mL at three months and 2.1 ug/mL at two years. CoQ10 supplementation is effective in other metabolic disorders as well. A dose of 150-200 mg/day can significantly improve hemoglobin A1C and fasting glucose in type 2 diabetics; 100 mg thrice daily significantly improved creatinine in chronic kidney disease patients; and 100 mg/day significantly decreased biomarkers of systemic inflammation and oxidative stress in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients (Hargreaves 2020).
A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found that a CoQ10 dose of 300-400 mg/day effectively inhibits inflammatory mediators CRP, IL-6, and TNF-alpha and increases circulating CoQ10 in the general population (Hou 2023).
Fatigue is a common symptom in healthy individuals and those with chronic disease. A meta-analysis and systematic review found that CoQ10 can significantly reduce fatigue, an effect that increases with the dose and duration of supplementation. It may take up to three months for CoQ10 supplementation to be effective in the chronically ill with fatigue (Tsai 2022).
Extending 150 mg/day supplementation to three months improved sleep quality, autonomic nervous dysfunction, and math-related task performance in individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome (CSF). The positive effects were directly associated with improvements in circulating CoQ10. Supplementation with 400 mg/day of CoQ10 for three months had significant prophylactic effects and reduced migraine severity, duration, and frequency in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Researchers attribute the benefits to CoQ10’s anti-inflammatory effects. Combining 400 mg/day of CoQ10 with other nutraceuticals, such as magnesium, riboflavin, curcumin, and feverfew may enhance anti-migraine benefits (Testai 2021).
Doses of CoQ10 above 100 mg/day can significantly improve oxidative stress by reducing malondialdehyde (MDA) and increasing superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and total antioxidant capacity, according to a meta-analysis of 19 research studies (Sangsefidi 2020).
Statin drugs can significantly reduce circulating CoQ10 by up to 54% regardless of statin duration or dose. Statins also deplete intramuscular CoQ10, including in cardiac and skeletal muscle, which is highly energy dependent. A meta-analysis of 12 randomized controlled studies found that CoQ10 supplementation effectively counteracts statin‐associated muscle symptoms (SAMSs), including muscle pain, weakness, cramping, and fatigue. Positive effects were independent of the dose or duration of CoQ10 supplementation, i.e., 100-600 mg/day and 30-90 days (Qu 2018).
The bioavailability of supplemental CoQ10 can be enhanced with the use of oily suspensions, emulsions, liposomes, nanostructured lipid carriers, micelles, particle size reduction (e.g., nanoparticles), and consuming it with a source of fat (Testai 2021). The ubiquinol (reduced) form is more bioavailable than the ubiquinone (oxidized) form, which is converted to ubiquinol in the body. A 1,500 mg/day dose of ubiquinol significantly improved unified multiple system atrophy rating scale (UMSARS) scores and secondary outcomes in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 131 multiple system atrophy (MSA) patients. Low circulating CoQ10 is commonly seen in MSA, a progressive neurodegenerative disease with Parkinsonian, cerebellar ataxic, and pyramidal dysfunction characteristics. The 1,500 mg/day dose was associated with a blood CoQ10 level of 6.03 ug/mL after 48 weeks. Similar levels were reached in previous studies, e.g., 6.38-7.49 ug/mL with an 8-12 week dose of 2,400-3,600 mg/day of ubiquinone in Huntington’s patients. However, researchers note that blood levels as high as 10.23 ug/mL were reached in healthy adult males when supplemented with 1,500 mg/day of ubiquinol for two weeks. They suggest a maximum dose of 1,500 mg/day of ubiquinol is likely safe and well-tolerated (Mitsui 2023).
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