Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Wham: CoEnzyme Q10 Trial: Heart Health Benefits

A new clinical trial of CoEnzyme Q10, a very popular supplement in the USA, has been published which shows the coenzyme boosting antioxidant enzymes and improving endothelial functions in patients who have coronary artery disease. These results reflect the broad heart health benefits of supplementation with Co-Q10.

Researchers performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial (similar to trials for drugs) and then published their results in the July, 2007 issue of European Heart Journal. The patients they were working with already had Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), which is a blockage of the vessels that supply the heart with blood.

Dr. Luca Tiano of Italy's Polytechnic University divided 38 CAD patients into two groups, with one receiving 100 mg/d of CoQ10 and the other a placebo for one month. Generally, the disease CAD reduces extracellular superoxide dismutase (ecSOD), a major antioxidant enzyme system found in blood vessel walls. However, in this trial, the CoQ10 group had more ecSOD at the end of the trial than the placebo group.

Dr. Tiano also reported that CoEnzyme Q10 also boosted endothelial function in patients with heart disease. Patients with low initial endothelium-bound ecSOD, those who were more prone to oxidative stress, showed the highest level of improvement.

CoEnzyme Q-10 is one of the fastest growing product categories in the Nutraceutical industry. When my doctor, an MD, suggested that I supplement with CoQ10, he told me that "it is drug-like in its immediate beneficial effect on your cardiovascular system."

Dave

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