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Coenzyme Q10 improves blood pressure and glycaemic control: a controlled trial in subjects with type 2 diabetes

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 56, pages 1137–1142 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective: Our objective was to assess effects of dietary supplementation with coenzyme Q10 (CoQ) on blood pressure and glycaemic control in subjects with type 2 diabetes, and to consider oxidative stress as a potential mechanism for any effects.

Subjects and design: Seventy-four subjects with uncomplicated type 2 diabetes and dyslipidaemia were involved in a randomised double blind placebo-controlled 2×2 factorial intervention.

Setting: The study was performed at the University of Western Australia, Department of Medicine at Royal Perth Hospital, Australia.

Interventions: Subjects were randomly assigned to receive an oral dose of 100 mg CoQ twice daily (200 mg/day), 200 mg fenofibrate each morning, both or neither for 12 weeks.

Main outcome measures: We report an analysis and discussion of the effects of CoQ on blood pressure, on long-term glycaemic control measured by glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), and on oxidative stress assessed by measurement of plasma F2-isoprostanes.

Results: Fenofibrate did not alter blood pressure, HbA1c, or plasma F2-isoprostanes. There was a 3-fold increase in plasma CoQ concentration (3.4±0.3 µmol/l, P<0.001) as a result of CoQ supplementation. The main effect of CoQ was to significantly decrease systolic (−6.1±2.6 mmHg, P=0.021) and diastolic (−2.9±1.4 mmHg, P=0.048) blood pressure and HbA1c (−0.37±0.17%, P=0.032). Plasma F2-isoprostane concentrations were not altered by CoQ (0.14±0.15 nmol/l, P=0.345).

Conclusions: These results show that CoQ supplementation may improve blood pressure and long-term glycaemic control in subjects with type 2 diabetes, but these improvements were not associated with reduced oxidative stress, as assessed by F2-isoprostanes.

Sponsorship: This study was supported by a grant from the NH&MRC, Australia.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Ms Mary-Ann Powell for expert nursing assistance.

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Author notes

  1. GF Watts: Guarantor: GF Watts.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Western Australia Department of Medicine and HeartSearch, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

    JM Hodgson, GF Watts, V Burke & KD Croft

  2. Department of Cardiology, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

    DA Playford

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  1. JM Hodgson
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  2. GF Watts
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  3. DA Playford
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  4. V Burke
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Correspondence to GF Watts.

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Hodgson, J., Watts, G., Playford, D. et al. Coenzyme Q10 improves blood pressure and glycaemic control: a controlled trial in subjects with type 2 diabetes. Eur J Clin Nutr 56, 1137–1142 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601464

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