Evidence for... Coenzyme Q10 for high blood pressure

Development of potent oral nanoparticulate formulation of coenzyme Q10 for treatment of hypertension: can the simple nutritional supplements be used as first line therapeutic agents for prophylaxis/therapy?
Ankola DD et al.
Eur J Pharm Biopharm. 2007;67:361-9.
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an antioxidant with well-established pharmacological activities against several chronic diseases, but is associated with poor oral bioavailability. These researchers therefore developed a biodegradable nanoparticulate formulation; when its therapeutic potential was evaluated in renal hypertensive animals, the nanoparticulate formulation demonstrated improved efficacy at a 60% lowered dose as compared to a commerical formulation of CoQ10 as a suspension and superior efficacy over the commercial formulation at an equal dose.


Coenzyme Q10 in the treatment of hypertension: a meta-analysis of the clinical trials.
Rosenfeldt FL et al.
J Hum Hypertens. 2007;21:297-306.
This meta-analysis of 12 clinical studies (362 patients) using coenzyme Q10 for hypertension concludes that coenzyme Q10 has the potential in hypertensive patients to lower systolic blood pressure by up to 17 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by up to 10 mm Hg without significant side effects.


Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of coenzyme Q10 in isolated systolic hypertension.
Burke BE et al.
South Med J. 2001;94:1112-7.
After 12 weeks of twice-daily administration of 60 mg of oral coenzyme Q10, 83 patients with isolated systolic hypertension experienced a mean reduction in systolic blood pressure of 17.8 mm Hg. No changes were observed in orthostatic blood pressure.