Heart health certainly is a main focal point of supplementation with coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), but the antioxidant and protective effects of this nutrient benefit other areas of health. At first glance, CoQ10 levels have been linked to various problems associated with various body organs and systems.
The results of an Institute of Neurology, London, study highlighted evidence of a deficit in brain CoQ10 status linked to the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease.1 Such a deficiency may accelerate precursors of beta-amyloid plaque deposits, a causative factor in Alzheimer's disease; research has found CoQ10 supplementation in such cases may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative problems.2
CoQ10 therapy might be the solution to counter amyloid beta peptide toxicity in brain mitochondria, according to animal research.3 Hong Kong researchers found a group of 48 mice (four genotypes) treated with CoQ10 (1,200 mg/d) for 28 days after ischemic injury for 28 days experienced protection of the brain from infarction and atrophy induced by the ischemia.4 And a study out of Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, found dietary administration of CoQ10 can protect against dopamine loss, offering neuroprotective effects in Parkinson's disease.5 Researchers have also found a link between cerebrospinal fluid levels of oxidized CoQ10 levels and duration of illness in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), suggesting mitochondrial oxidative damage may play a role in pathogenesis of ALS.6
Where the brain thinks, the eyes see, and ocular health is not safe from the CoQ10-related metabolic problems that plague the brain and the heart. Peking University, China, researchers reported a familiar finding: CoQ10 levels in the retina can decline by about 40 percent with age.7 This decline can result in decreased antioxidant ability and a decreased rate of ATP synthesis in the retina, which may lead to the progression of macular degeneration. Fortunately, as in the other organs, CoQ10 therapy can help protect the retina. For instance, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy, scientists discovered intraocular administration of CoQ10 can limit glutamate increase and offer neuroprotection, "suggesting that oxidative stress and energy failure might be implicated in the mechanisms of retinal ganglion cell death."8
A pair of studies published in 2008 show CoQ10 plays a role in protecting another vital organ, the kidneys, from renal disease. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, researchers detailed how CoQ10 deficiency correlates to autoimmune kidney disease, at least in mice, where CoQ10 levels were significantly lower in the disease group than in controls.9 Meanwhile, across the country, University of California, Los Angeles, scientists found CoQ10 supplementation can rescue mice carrying a kidney disease mutation gene from certain end-stage kidney disease and death.10 Interestingly, their results showed CoQ10 may benefit such kidney cases by acting as a fat-soluble antioxidant, rather than by boosting kidney mitochondrial respiration.
Many organs and body systems are involved in cystic fibrosis, a hereditary disease marked by thick mucus production that clogs up function of the lungs, liver, pancreas, lungs and many other organs. This is a disease affecting mostly children, as cystic fibrosis progresses from birth and often results in childhood mortality. Plasma CoQ10 levels are lower in children with cystic fibrosis, probably due to malabsorption of fat, according to Dutch researchers.11 Follow-up work performed by University of Colorado, Denver, scientists featured CoQ10 levels measured annually in 381 cystic fibrosis patients.12 About half of the patients were deficient in CoQ10, with deficiency correlated to pancreatic insufficiency (PI). Low CoQ10 levels were significantly associated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonization in patients with PI and cystic fibrosis (under age 24 months), but not with subsequent lung function or hospitalization rates. Decreased CoQ10 levels were also linked to other markers of nutritional status, including total lipids, beta-carotene and alpha-tocopherol. Researchers suggested a prospective study could elucidate the potential benefits of CoQ10 supplementation in children with cystic fibrosis.