Co Q-10: Part II

This week, let's take a look at some of the cardiovascular benefits of Co-enzyme Q-IO. This supplement has been shown to have an .effect on chronic inflammation of the arteries and muscle tissues at the heart. Other studies have demonstrated the benefit of using coenzyme Q-1O to combat congestive heart failure, particularly on patients who have suffered an initial heart attack. One randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study demonstrated the effectiveness of coenzyme Q-10 in treating atherosclerosis and reducing the risk of a subsequent secondary heart attack, particularly in patients who are utilizing cholesterol lowering drugs.
These researchers found that patients who had suffered a previous heart attack who were orally consuming 120 mg of coenzyme Q-10 daily had a significantly lower incidence of secondary cardiac events. These individuals had nearly a 50% lower chance of having a non-fatal heart attack. 25.3% of those non-treated patients did suffer a non-fatal heart attack, compared to13.7% of those individuals in the study who were taking "Co Q-10."
Interestingly, these researcheers also found tpafblood levels of vitamin-E and HDL, or good cholesterol, were higher in those patients consumingCo' Q-To.'" ,'" .'"
Currently, a study is underway at Copenhagen University Hospital's Heart Center which will "establish the future role of Co Q-1O as part of a maintenance therapy in patients with chronic heart failure." This is a multi-national study being conducted over a two year period.
The benefits of Co Q-10, which have been published in the journal Biofactors from the Third Conference of the International Co Q-10 Association. They include improved exercise capacity, reduced hospitalizations, and significant improvements in various hemo-dynamic parameters, have been the overwhelming experience. "Thus based on the available controlled data, Co-Q-1O is a promising, effective and safe approach to chronic heart failure," according to Dr. Mortensen, the lead scientist in the Copenhagen study. Japanese researchers, at the University of Kyoto's Graduate School of Medicine, have found further benefits of Co Q-l O. Specifically in protecting the heart against acute viral myocarditis. These researchers found that survival in laboratory mice was greater with
those who were treated with Co Q-IO and then infected with a strairi of encephalomyocarditis virus.
Next week, we will discuss some of the other benefits of Co-enzyme Q-IO, particularly in those individuals utilizing statin or cholesterol lowering drugs.