Evidence for taking Coenzyme Q10 additional to prescribed medication for Heart Failure is limited.
Anyone taking Coenzyme Q10 for HF & feel that it makes a difference to their energy levels during the day in particular compared to before taking Coenzyme Q10?
Hello my friend .. good question . I take Q10 in tbe form of Ubiquinol I’m on 80mg atorvastatin plus the usual cocktail.. I don’t appear to be suffering side effects. I’m not going to stop the Ubiquinol to test if it’s working 
and it’s like most vitamins no real medical trials have been done but it is widely agreed that a Q10 supplement is advisable for heart patients.. I wouldn’t be without .
Many thanks Peter Piper. Feeling tired fatigue are common features for Heart Failure patients and other conditions such as ME/CFS, Long Covid, FND curious to the role of lack of Coenzyme Q10 to maintain energy levels & role of the heart/ejection Fraction to pump oxygenated blood to the vital organs reference to 'spoon theory' & 'cell phone theory' would tend to point to lack of energy by HF patients but could the same hold true to other conditions?
It’s not a cheap supplement but other than that see no reason why not to take it, a mate of mine who’s suffered from heart issues for years swears by it and insists he can tell if he stops taking it, statins do deplete our natural q10 levels which decrease with age anyway so adding it back makes sense
Hi, my husband take Q10 in the form of Ubiquinol. His GP and Cardiologist are happy for him to do so. He’s on ACE inhibitor, diuretic, betablocker and Warfarin. He notices the difference if he stops taking it - less energy and just not feeling as well as he does when he has it.
Great to read that medical team support taking Q10 given it role in energy production via Ejection Fraction of heart where Q10 has it highest concentration of QI0 unless damage to heart has occurred due to HA &/or HF and of course age still more research on Q10 needed but encouraged to hear that your husband benefits from taking Q10 take care.
If you are taking statins CoQ10 definitely helps to undo to an extent the damage that statins cause. There is little evidence of any direct link between CoQ10 and heart conditions.
Many Thanks for your comments and agree with you about the the damage that Statins may cause but personally having taking them for the past 23 years for CVD & Past 2 years for Severe Heart failure have not felt any adverse effects.More research required on the possible role of CoQ10 role to promote better energy levels production in patients with reduced Ejection Fraction. Link above to boosting energy levels & fighting aging.
I looked into this too as my mother is a big fan of Q10.
Ultimately I decided the evidence is mixed on interactions/efficacy with the usual cocktail I'm taking, at least with regard to blood thinners.
And it's expensive in what seems to be the usual dosage; not having heart failure per se I'm going to avoid it for now but remain very open minded about its benefits.
I am generally skeptical of most supplements, but I do think there might be something to COQ-10. This is a good summary of potential side effects and possible benefits, see especially the bit on statin side effects.
mayoclinic.org/drugs-supple...
If anyone does decide to go in for CoQ10 it's very important to go into details regarding what form of it is best for you, its source, absorbability, dose etc. Being an expensive supplement as many have mentioned on this forum what you see may not be what you get!
That's a very good point. Can anyone recommend a reliable and cost-effective source? Thank you. 😊
I would suggest looking at the Pharma Nord (pharmanord.co.uk) product - Bio-Quinone* Active Q10. Of particular interest is the KiSel-10 study in which participants took Q10 and selenium with long-term positive outcomes.
I have no connection with this company, other than being a satisfied purchaser of its products.
I always use Helios in LOndon. They are mainly homeopaths but have people on the phone to give advice on any supplements. They are really helpful. I rang a couple of weeks ago for advice on which form of magnesium to take.
Yes, absolutely.. The lack of a standard dose and quality control is a reason to be skeptical of supplements. I do wish that supplement vendors would finance more studies, but I suspect they don't want to find out the results. The COQ-10 brand my mother takes is probably 20 pounds a bottle...
Seen daily dosage range from 30mg to 1200mg although typical dose is 100-200mg a day spilt into several doses Nature's Best products are well received and their CoQ10 is currently 2 for the price of 3 so £16.95 for 180 capsules with daily 30mg naturebest.co.ukYes further research required
Thanks Pasigal as you say the evidence is mixed at best the evidence is moderate at present for CoQ10.As a HF patient with EF of 34% l have yet to experience ( hope not) tiredness, fatigue and breathlessness but to name a few of the symptoms experienced by HF patients if & when I should develop these symptoms then taking CoQ10 would certainly be considered to boost/increase energy levels.
I have PVCs and not on any medication for them (or medication for anything else) but take a daily multi vitamin (Vitabiotics) which has a modest amount of CQ10 in it for my age. I tried taking an additional amount but palpitations seemed to worsen so best to stick with the modest amount as I am.
Hi Santino44....Yes I take Co-Enzyme Q10 along with my Heart Failure medication. It was suggested by my Cardiac Rehabilitation Specialist Nurse. I also checked with the Pharmacist to see if there were any interactions with my medication. I have have no problems and feel well. Good luck 😊
Given that Statins not only suppress the livers cholesterol production but also CQ10, for me, supplementing this loss makes sense. I suffer from CAD (stented) plus I'm 3+ years post AVRand an active 69 yr old. Probably taken CQ10 as long as I've been on statins but really an act of faith. Never dropped it to see if anything detectable changes but confident in the logic.
I've been taking CQ10 for over 20 years as a support. Parents and all grandparents suffered with heart and circulatory problems. 2 years ago I had a stroke and was diagnosed with AFib. Lots of medications but still took CQ. Further investigations have revealed DCM. I am currently on the list for a trial of CQ for people with DCM. Fingers crossed!
Started taking it twice a day after reading a lot of research that showed how statins mess with Q10 in the body (especially for symptoms like muscle cramps). Obviously, consult your physician before taking anything new, but they'll probably agree with all the benefits anyway.
HiI take CQ10 and have HF but can't comment on its effectiveness for me as started it very early on after my HA/CA. I took it because it seems a unanimous medical view that HF is linked with low levels of CQ10 and it doesn't seem to have any reported side effects. I also took comfort from the fact that it's been standard part of treatment for HF in Japan for many decades.
I stumbled on a useful summary of trials etc at:
sciencedirect.com/science/a...
My cardiologist was happy for me to take the supplement so I figure that for a relatively modest cost its worth sticking with.
As an aside a friend pays for a private cardiologist who is very well known/well respected at Papworth and he recommended it for heart patients!
I'm no expert but for me this seemed a sensible supplement though I still wouldn't have taken it unless my cardiologist approved.
Many thanks Tony longhand the evidence for CoQ10 may not be of the highest grade but plenty of HF/HA patients on a individual basis feel all the better for taking it in addition to prescribed medication for some it is taken to counter act the statins personally after taking my station and other medication for the past 23 years I had not had any side effects. Take care.
I’ve been taking CoQ10 since it was first awarded a Nobel prize. At the time my heart failure wasn’t being treated and my energy levels were on the floor and I was given a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome!! It made a real difference to me for sure. NICE recommend it for use alongside Statins so evidence is coming along nicely!
I am not so sure about NICE recommending CoQ10.
Have you got the latest guidelines?
nice.org.uk/donotdo/do-not-...
Thanks for that. I would love to know why they have changed the advice. I actually had it on prescription for a while until I changed my surgery!
It's a pity that there have been no large research studies into the effectiveness of CoQ10.
It might work or just make your wee very expensive 😊
Hi Milkfairy Yes that that what missing a large Randomised Clinical Trial to test if Coenzyme Q10 can increase energy levels in patients with Heart Failure and other conditions such as CFS, ME and long Covid I believe the answer to be found in the working of the Mitochondria.
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