Over the past two decades, a particular supplement has grown in tremendous popularity. It is a very promising alternative cure for serious problems that plague your heart and circulatory system. Known more by its acronym CoQ10, its full moniker is “coenzyme Q10.” Part one is a quick introduction and a look at how it could help those who suffer angina.
As far back as 1965, CoQ10 was first used to treat heart disease. It was the Japanese government that first approved it (in 1974) as a drug to treat heart failure. Since then, millions of Japanese patients have been obtaining CoQ10 for various cardiac diseases. The supplement is also widely used in Europe and Russia.
In the U.S. and other countries, it is considered a food supplement and is used primarily as an antioxidant or anti-aging tool. What I’m going to show you in this three-part series is some of the solid evidence that exists for CoQ10 — which is, quite possibly, the ultimate heart treatment.
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Angina is chest discomfort or pain caused by a heart that is not receiving enough blood. The pain could burn in your neck, arms, shoulders, jaw, or back as well. Sometimes it may feel like indigestion. Typical causes include emotional or physical stress, exposure to extreme hot or cold temperature, smoking cigarettes, or eating heavy meals. Some drugs can cause chest pain, too. Patients need to lose weight, quit smoking, exercise more, possibly take medications, or even have a surgical procedure such as a bypass.
Five high-quality trials have studied adding CoQ10 to the usual medical treatments for chronic angina. Doses varied from 60 to 600 milligrams a day. In nearly every case, benefits could be demonstrated in terms of improvement in exercise tolerance and fewer symptoms of insufficient oxygen supply. But only two studies showed it reducing angina symptoms.
How do you read the evidence? In this case, it is limited — but promising.