Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Studies reveal that  CoQ10, not only helps maintain healthy levels of cholesterol  and inflammation,  but may also help blood vessel health.

Blood vessel dysfunction, characterized by a decrease in an ability to either constrict or relax properly, is considered to be an early marker for atherosclerosis (1, 2). Blood vessel dysfunction is also a reliable predictor of having a heart attack or stroke (3), all of which combine to make heart disease as the #1 cause of death in the United States over the past few decades (4).

Because research suggests blood vessel dysfunction can nearly triple the risk of having a cardiovascular event (5) while other research shows improved blood vessel function can reduce the risk of cardiovascular events by 86% (6), ways to help improve blood vessel function are a priority. Now a new study (7) suggests that CoQ10, shown previously to help maintain healthy levels of cholesterol (8) and inflammation (9), may also help blood vessel health.

In the study, researchers analyzing five studies of 194 patients with an average age from 34 to 69 years, lasting between 4 weeks to 12 weeks, and ranging in dosage from 150 to 300 mg per day found a “significant improvement” of coenzyme Q10 on blood vessel dysfunction.

Specifically, the chart below shows CoQ10’s effect on the ability of blood vessels to relax (called “flow mediated dilation”) with a “+” reading indicating a greater relaxation effect on blood vessels in four researches under different conditions:

CoQ10 Dose

Duration

CoQ10 Change

Placebo Change

200 mg/day

12 weeks (10)

1.60%

-0.40%

12 weeks (11)

1.00%

No Change

300 mg/day

4 weeks (12)

4.20%

No Change

8 weeks (13)

1.62%

0.65%

 

(10) Type II Diabetes-Brachial Artery (11) Type II Diabetes treated with Statins  (12) Ischemic Heart Disease  (13) Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction.

No benefits were seen with 150 mg per day (14).

Citing CoQ10’s antioxidant (15) and anti-inflammatory (16, 17) properties as a probable explanation for these beneficial effects on blood vessels and doses up to 1200 mg per day as being well-tolerated (18), the researchers went on to conclude that “Coenzyme Q10 supplementation is associated with significant improvement in endothelial function” and that “The current study supports a role for CoQ10 supplementation in patients with endothelial dysfunction.”

Source: Gao, Linggen, et al. “Effects of coenzyme Q10 on vascular endothelial function in humans: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.” Atherosclerosis 221.2 (2012): 311-316.

Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Posted August 22, 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

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