The Association Between the Dietary Intake of Coenzyme Q10 and New-Onset Hypertension

by | Sep 20, 2024 | 2024, Blood Pressure, Cardiovascular Health, CoQ10 (Coenzyme Q10), Recent Articles

Written by Harold Oster, MD. Results suggest an inverse association between the dietary intake of coenzyme Q10 and new-onset hypertension.

cardiovascular health - blood pressureHypertension affects more than 40% of adults in the United States. It is a major risk factor for stroke, cardiovascular disease, and kidney disease1. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an essential component of the electron transport system. It is an antioxidant and may have beneficial effects in several chronic medical conditions2. Studies on the impact of CoQ10 supplementation on blood pressure have yielded mixed results3,4.

Dan Zhao et al. studied the association between dietary intake of CoQ10 and the development of hypertension. The authors analyzed data gathered between 1997 and 2015 by the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS), a longitudinal study examining how social and dietary factors affect the health of Chinese residents5. After an initial evaluation, participants were evaluated every two to three years. The participants’ dietary consumption was assessed by questionnaires conducted over three consecutive days. Responses were compared to the Chinese Food Composition Tables6 to determine CoQ10 intake, and the participants were divided into quartiles based on average daily consumption. At baseline and each follow-up evaluation, blood pressure and body mass index were measured. Hypertension was defined as a systolic blood pressure greater than 139 mm/Hg, a diastolic blood pressure greater than 89 mm/Hg, or a diagnosis of hypertension by a physician. Patients were questioned about possible covariables, including demographics, education level, and lifestyle factors.

The authors noted the following:

  • Based on inclusion criteria, data from 11,428 participants was used for the study.
  • The median daily intake of CoQ10 was 4.3 mg. The median plant and animal-derived CoQ10 intake was 2.1 and 1.7 mg/day, respectively.
  • Participants with a higher dietary CoQ10 intake were more likely to be male, smoke, drink alcohol, and have a higher BMI, blood pressure, and education level.
  • 4,006 participants developed hypertension during follow-up.
  • After adjustment for covariables, participants in the second and third quartiles of total CoQ10 intake were less likely to develop hypertension than those in the lowest quartile. (Hazard ratio of 0.86 and 0.83, respectively)
  • No significant difference was noted for those in the highest quartile of CoQ10 consumption compared to the lowest quartile.
  • The inverse association was evident with the intake of plant and animal-derived CoQ10.
  • The inverse association of CoQ10 and hypertension was noted in those who did not drink alcohol at baseline. No association was noted in those who drank alcohol at baseline.
  • A total CoQ10 intake of more than 7.64 mg per day was associated with a higher risk of new-onset hypertension in participants with a high-fat diet.

Results suggest an inverse association between the dietary intake of coenzyme Q10 and the development of hypertension. However, the association disappeared in those consuming the highest amount of CoQ10. Limitations include the use of dietary questionnaires and possible residual confounding.

Source: Zhao, Dan, Zezhong Tian, Huiying Kuang, Yixuan Xu, Yiqi Zheng, Zepei Zhong, Lihan Liang, and Yan Yang. “Associations between Long-Term Dietary Coenzyme Q10 Intake and New-Onset Hypertension in Adults: Insights from a Nationwide Prospective Cohort Study.” Nutrients 16, no. 15 (2024): 2478.

© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/
4.0/).

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Posted September 20, 2024.

Harold Oster, MD graduated from medical school in Miami, Florida in 1992 and moved to Minnesota in 2004. After more than 25 years of practicing Internal Medicine, he recently retired. Dr. Oster is especially interested in nutrition, weight management, and disease prevention. Visit his website at haroldoster.com.

References:

  1. Krist AH, Davidson KW, Mangione CM, et al. Screening for Hypertension in Adults: US Preventive Services Task Force Reaffirmation Recommendation Statement. Jama. Apr 27 2021;325(16):1650-1656. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.4987
  2. Hernández-Camacho JD, Bernier M, López-Lluch G, Navas P. Coenzyme Q(10) Supplementation in Aging and Disease. Frontiers in physiology. 2018;9:44. doi:10.3389/fphys.2018.00044
  3. Zozina VI, Covantev S, Goroshko OA, Krasnykh LM, Kukes VG. Coenzyme Q10 in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases: Current State of the Problem. Curr Cardiol Rev. 2018;14(3):164-174. doi:10.2174/1573403×14666180416115428
  4. Ho MJ, Li EC, Wright JM. Blood pressure lowering efficacy of coenzyme Q10 for primary hypertension. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. Mar 3 2016;3(3):Cd007435. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007435.pub3
  5. Sun Y, Dong D, Ding Y. The Impact of Dietary Knowledge on Health: Evidence from the China Health and Nutrition Survey. Int J Environ Res Public Health. Apr 2 2021;18(7)doi:10.3390/ijerph18073736
  6. Shen X, Fang A, He J, et al. Trends in dietary fat and fatty acid intakes and related food sources among Chinese adults: a longitudinal study from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (1997-2011). Public Health Nutr. Nov 2017;20(16):2927-2936. doi:10.1017/s1368980017001781

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