Coenzyme Q10
IM / IV / SQ Therapy
In plain English
Coenzyme Q10 is a vitamin-like compound your cells use to make energy and act as an antioxidant. It is a popular supplement, and the strongest evidence is for helping people with chronic heart failure feel better and have fewer heart-related events when added to standard care. It is generally very well tolerated.
The science
Coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinone) is an essential electron carrier in the mitochondrial respiratory chain and a lipid-soluble antioxidant. In the randomized, double-blind, multicenter Q-SYMBIO trial (Mortensen et al., JACC Heart Fail 2014; n=420), CoQ10 100 mg three times daily added to standard therapy reduced major adverse cardiovascular events (15% vs 26%), cardiovascular and all-cause mortality, and heart-failure hospitalizations over 2 years, improving NYHA class. Systematic reviews rate the overall evidence as moderate and call for further trials. It is well tolerated; it may interact with warfarin. It is marketed as a supplement, not an FDA-approved drug.