CoQlO

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQlO) deficiency. This mitochondrial encephalomyopathy has three main clinical presentations. A predominantly myopathic form is characterized by the triad of exercise intolerance, recurrent myoglobinuria, and CNS involvement. A more frequent ataxic form is dominated by ataxia and cerebellar atrophy, variously associated with weakness, developmental delay, seizures, pyramidal signs, and peripheral neuropathy, often simulating spinocerebellar atrophy. A third presentation with fatal infantile encephalomyopathy and renal involvement, has been described in two families. The biochemical defect (or defects) presumably involve different steps in the biosynthesis of CoQlO, but are still unknown, as are the molecular defects. Diagnosis, however, is important because all patients - and especially those with the myopathic and infantile forms - benefit from CoQlO supplementation [13,14]. 

Coenzyme Q10, also known as CoQ, CoQlO, and ubiquinone, is found in the mitochondria of many organs, including the heart, kidney, liver, and skeletal muscle. After ingestion, the reduced form of coenzyme Q10, ubiquinol, predominates in the systemic circulation. Coenzyme Q10 is a potent antioxidant and may have a role in maintaining healthy muscle function, although the clinical significance of this effect is unknown. Reduced serum levels have been reported in Parkinson s disease. 

LangsjoenPH and LangsjoenAM (1999) Overview of the use of CoQlO in cardiovascular disease. Biofactors9, 273-84. 

Ghirlanda, G., Oradei, A., Manto, A., Lippa, S., Uccioli, L., Caputo, S., Greco, A.V., and Littarru, G.P. (1993). Evidence of plasma CoQlO-lowering effect by HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. J Clin Pharmacol 33 226-229. 

Mabuchi, H., Nohara, A., Kobayashi, J., Kawashiri, M.A., Katsuda, S., Inazu, A., and Koizumi, J. (2007). Effects of CoQlO supplementation on plasma lipoprotein lipid, CoQlO and liver and muscle enzyme levels in hypercholesterolemic patients treated with atorvastatin a randomized double-blind study. Atherosclerosis 195 el82-el89. 

QIO, or simply CoQlO. It turns out that the very same enzyme needed to make cholesterol in the liver is necessary for the production of CoQlO. 

There are a lot of CoQlO products on the market. Prices vary and so does quality and effectiveness. The best raw material for CoQlO is produced through a yeast process by the Japanese company Kanaka. And the best formulation is in an oil base, such as the one made by Healthy Qrigins. It is the formulation used in the U.C. San Diego study. You can find it in retail stores and at www.healthyorigins.com. That company also makes a number of blood pressure-lowering supplements, my secret weapons against high blood pressure, I write about elsewhere in the book. 

Coenzyme QIO, or CoQlO, is a substance that occurs naturally in virtually all of our bodies tissues, especially in muscle tissue. It s so widespread throughout the body that another name for it is ubiquinone, referring to its ubiquitous nature. CoQlO regulates energy in muscle cells. As we age, the amount in our bodies declines. For that reason, it has been speculated that supplementation would improve energy levels. That claim hasn t been well substantiated, but there are other and better reasons to consider supplementation. 

What about CoQlO and blood pressure Researchers theorize that most hypertensive patients have a significant CoQlO deficiency that in turn leads to a deficiency in a naturally occurring provitamin, a substance that energizes and maximizes the potential of vitamins. At least eight trials looked at the effect of varying dosages of CoQlO on blood pressure. All of them showed benefit, although blood pressure reductions varied. 

In one trial, thirty patients reeeived 60 mg of CoQlO twiee daily while a control group of twenty-nine other patients got a B-vitamin placebo for eight weeks.The CoQlO group had a very nice 16-point drop in systolic blood pressure and a 9-point fall in diastolic pressure. People in that group also had reductions in triglycerides, blood sugar, and insulin, with increases in HDL and serum levels of vitamins A, C, and E. The B-vitamin placebo control group saw only an increase in vitamin C in the blood. 

Another study examined the effects of CoQlO on what s called isolated systolic hypertension in which only the systolic, not the diastolic, pressure is elevated. A group of forty-six men and thirty-seven women got either 60 mg of CoQlO daily or a placebo for twelve weeks. People taking the CoQlO had decreases in systolic blood pressure from 10.5 to a whopping 25.1, with an average of 17.8. That s wonderful, but not all studies have shown such dramatic improvements. 

Part of the reason for the variance in effectiveness of CoQlO may come down to whether a person has a low level of the substance in the tissues and the bloodstream to begin with. You could take a test to measure your CoQlO levels, or you could simply undertake a two- or three-month trial to see what sort of benefit it might provide. Certainly, there are no possible downsides to CoQlO supplementation, and you might note an improvement in energy as well as a decrease in blood pressure. It might work for you and it might not, but there s no reason not to try it. 

CoQlO is an essential cofactor of the mitochondrial elec don dansport chain, and may act as an antioxidant. It has been shown to have neuroprotective effects in models of ALS, PD and HD (Beal, 2002). An open label escalation dial in ALS was completed in 2004 dosages up to 3,000mg per day were well tolerated (Ferrante et al., 2005). An NINDS-funded randomized condolled phase II dial of CoQlO is currently underway in padents with ALS. 

DHA and Coenzyme Q10. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQlO) is an essential cofactor involved in the mitochondrial electron transport chain. Zinc toxicity also affects cellular energy production by decreasing oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and ATP turnover in human neuronal cells, which can be restored by the neuroprotective effect of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). DHA is specifically neuroprotective against zinc-triggered mitochondrial dysfunction, and CoQlO has shown to be protective against both Ap- and zinc-induced alterations in mitochondrial function [502],... 

Also cited is the less expensive cesium protocol, apparently using a total of 6 g of cesium chloride over a 30-day period. The Rath vitamin C protocol is next described Matthias Rath, MD., was a former associate of Linus Pauling. In addition to megadoses of vitamin C, there are megadoses of lysine, proline, and green tea extract. Lastly, there are arguments for adding Coenzyme 10 (CoQlO) to any protocol. 

The well-publicized substance known as Coenzyme QIO, or CoQlO, receives favorable mention as an anticancer agent in an article by Christi Yerby appearing in the October 2005 issue of Life Extension. He states that low levels of CoQlO were found in patients with myeloma, lymphoma, and cancers of the breast, lung, prostate, pancreas, colon, kidney, head, and neck. In one case study, a woman with breast cancer experienced a stabilized tumor from taking 90 mg/day of CoQlO. When the daily dose was increased to 390 mg, the tumor disappeared. It was mentioned that CoQlO is synthesized from the amino acids tyrosine and phenylalanine in a cascade of reactions that involve vitamin C and the B vitamins B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, plus folic acid. Although the body produces CoQlO naturally, this is sometimes not enough. An earlier reference is S.T. Sinatra s The Coenzyme QIO Phenomenon, published in 1998. 

The client diagnosed with macular degeneration asks the nurse why the HCP would prescribe over-the-counter supplements of CoQlO and flax seed oil. Which statement best describes the scientific rationale for the nurse s response ... 

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