Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Small study of 23 patients showed CoQ10 levels were 63% lower in the heart attack patients. Also CoQ10 levels among the 15 heart attack patients who died in the hospital were 43% lower than the heart attack patients who survived and were discharged.
There are an estimated 350,000 heart attacks each year in the United States, with a 40% first heart attack survival rate (1) and a cost of about $1 million per heart attack survivor (2).
Increased interest has also been placed in CoQ10 after a heart attack, as it also helps with mitochondrial health (3). Now a new study (4) suggests CoQ10 may indeed be of benefit after a heart attack.
In the study, 23 patients (16 men, 7 women) with an average age of 71 who were hospitalized due to a heart attack were compared with 16 healthy subjects. Blood samples revealed that CoQ10 levels were 63% lower in the heart attack patients compared to the control patients (0.28 vs. 0.75 micromoles per Liter,p < 0.0001). CoQ10 levels among the 15 heart attack patients who died in the hospital were 43% lower than the (5) heart attack patients who survived and were discharged (0.27 vs. 0.47 micromole/L,p = 0.007).
The researchers admit this is a very small study and the results need to be taken with caution. However, they cite previous research that showed CoQ10 given in an initial dose of 250 mg and then 150 mg three times daily for five days produced a significantly higher three-month survival rate compared with placebo (68% vs. 29.2%) (6).
They went on to conclude that “To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the [blood] levels of CoQ10 in human subjects after cardiac arrest” . They added that “the mechanism and significance of depletion of CoQ10 in this population remains unclear” and “larger prospective observational trials measuring CoQ10 in a post-cardiac arrest population are needed.”
Source: Cocchi, Michael N., et al. “Coenzyme Q 10 levels are low and associated with increased mortality in post-cardiac arrest patients.” Resuscitation 83.8 (2012): 991-995.
Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved
Posted November 30, 2012.
Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com
References:
- Zheng ZJ, Croft JB, Giles WH, Mensah GA. Sudden cardiac death in the United States, 1989 to 1998. Circulation 2001;104:2158–63.
- “How Much Would A Heart Attack Cost You?” posted April 23, 2010 on CBS.com.
- Honda HM, Korge P, Weiss JN. Mitochondria and ischemia/reperfusion injury. Ann NY Acad Sci 2005;1047:248–58.
- Littaru GP. Bioenergetic and antioxidant properties of coenzyme Q10: recent developments. Mol Biotechnol 2007 Sep;37(1):31-7.
- CocchiMN. Coenzyme Q10 levels are low and associated with increased mortality in post-cardiac arrest patients. Resuscitation 2012 Aug;83(8):991-5. Epub 2012 Mar 28.
- Damian MS, Ellenberg D, Gildemeister R, et al. CoEnzyme Q10 combined with mild hypothermia after cardiac arrest. Circulation 2004;110:3011–6.
