High blood pressure Several clinical studies involving small numbers of people suggest that CoQ10 ma y lower blood

pressure. However, it may take 4 - 12 weeks to see any change. In one analysis, after reviewing 12 clinical studies, researchers concluded that Co Q10 has the potential to lower systolic blood pressure by up to 17 mm Hg and dia stolic blood pressure by 10 mm Hg, without significant side effects. More resear ch with greater numbers of people is needed. ========================================================== Coenzyme Q10 Lowers Blood Pressure Results from the Boise, Idaho, study demonstrate that coenzyme Q10 supplementati on reduces isolated systolic hypertension (ISH), the condition in which systolic blood pressure (the top number) is greater than 140 mm Hg (millimeters of mercu ry), while diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) remains below 90 mm Hg.2 This type of high blood pressure is very common in the elderly; in fact, two-th irds of all hypertensive patients over the age of 65 have ISH. Forty-one men and 35 women, all with systolic blood pressure between 150 and 170 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure below 90 mm Hg, enrolled in the study. (Nine additional patients with normal blood pressure - average 138/79 - participated as controls.) Each patient was randomly assigned to either the treatment group ( 60 mg of coenzyme Q10 with 150 IU of vitamin E twice a day - an amount of vitami n E that has no effect on blood pressure) or to the placebo group (150 IU of vit amin E twice a day). Each treatment lasted for 12 weeks, and each patient's bloo d pressure was monitored twice weekly. At the end of the 12-week coenzyme Q10 treatment, an impressive 55% of the patie nts were found to be responders. The average reduction in the patients' systolic blood pressure was 25.9 mm Hg, with no detectable change in diastolic blood pre ssure. As with any study, some of the patients did not have significant drops in their systolic blood pressure. For the 55% of the ISH patients classified as responders, the potential benefit for improved heart function is promising. For example, a separate study revealed that, in ISH patients over the age of 60, a reduction of systolic blood pressur e by 20 mm Hg had obvious health benefits and significantly reduced the incidenc e of stroke, heart failure, and mortality. This suggests that the responders in the Boise trial, who averaged a decrease of 25.97 mm Hg in systolic blood pressu re following coenzyme Q10 supplementation, are likely to enjoy appreciable impro vements in their cardiovascular health. =============================================================WIKI Blood pressure There are several reports concerning the effect of CoQ10 on blood pressure in hu man studies.[53] A recent (2007) meta-analysis of the clinical trials of CoQ10 for hypertension r eviewed all published trials of coenzyme Q10 for hypertension, and assessed over all efficacy, consistency of therapeutic action, and side-effect incidence. Meta -analysis was performed in 12 clinical trials (362 patients) comprising three ra ndomized controlled trials, one crossover study, and eight open-label studies. T he meta-analysis concluded that coenzyme Q10 has the potential in hypertensive p atients to lower systolic blood pressure by up to 17 mm Hg and diastolic blood p ressure by up to 10 mm Hg without significant side-effects.[54] =============================================================Mayo High blood pressure (hypertension) Preliminary research suggests that CoQ10 causes small decreases in blood pressur e (systolic and possibly diastolic). Low blood levels of CoQ10 have been found i n people with hypertension, although it is not clear if CoQ10 "deficiency" is a

cause of high blood pressure. Well-designed long-term research is needed to stre ngthen this recommendation. ==================================================== =========Clinical Trial 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 2x2 factorial intervent ion. SETTING: The study was performed at the University of Western Australia, Department of Me dicine at Royal Perth Hospital, Australia. INTERVENTIONS: Subjects were randomly assigned to receive an oral dose of 100 mg CoQ twice dail y (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 (HbA(1c)), and on oxidative stress assessed by measurement of plasma F2-isoprostanes. RESULTS: Fenofibrate did not alter blood pressure, HbA(1c), or plasma F2-isoprostanes. Th ere was a 3-fold increase in plasma CoQ concentration (3.4+/-0.3 micro mol/l, P< 0.001) as a result of CoQ supplementation. The main effect of CoQ was to signifi cantly decrease systolic (-6.1+/-2.6 mmHg, P=0.021) and diastolic (-2.9+/-1.4 mm Hg, P=0.048) blood pressure and HbA(1c) (-0.37+/-0.17%, P=0.032). Plasma F2-isop rostane 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 longterm glycaemic control in subjects with type 2 diabetes, but these improvements were not associated with reduced oxidative stress, as assessed by F2-isoprostane s.==================================================IndCoenzyme Q10 Improves High Blood Pressure Natt Brignall, N.D. Healthnotes Newswire Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an effective treatment for people w ith a common type of high blood pressure, according to a clinical trial publishe d in the Southern Medical Journal (2001;94:112 7). For this clinical trial, the authors recruited 83 people with a condition called isolated systolic hypertension (ISH), in which the higher blood pressure number (systolic) is elevated, but the lower number (diastolic) is normal. These peopl e were assigned to take either 60 mg of CoQ10 twice daily or a placebo for 12 we eks. Each participant had their blood pressure checked twice weekly for the enti re study. The people taking CoQ10 had an 18-point (18 mm Hg) reduction in systolic blood p ressure (from 165 to 147 mm Hg), compared with only a 2-point decline in the pla cebo group, a statistically significant difference. The diastolic blood pressure , which was initially normal, did not change in either group. A systolic blood p ressure reduction of four points or more was seen in 55% of people taking CoQ10 (those people were considered responders), whereas 45% of the participants showe

d no clinically meaningful reduction in blood pressure. Among the responders, th e average reduction in blood pressure showed a dramatic decline (25.9 mm Hg). No significant adverse effects were attributed to CoQ10 treatment.================ ================================================================================ =============== LinusPauling Institute Hypertension The results of several small, uncontrolled studies in humans suggest that coenzy me Q10 supplementation could be beneficial in the treatment of hypertension (42) . More recently, two short-term placebo-controlled trials found that coenzyme Q1 0 supplementation resulted in moderate blood pressure decreases in hypertensive individuals. The addition of 120 mg/d of coenzyme Q10 to conventional medical th erapy for eight weeks in patients with hypertension and coronary artery disease decreased systolic blood pressure by an average of 12 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by an average of 6 mm Hg, in comparison to a placebo containing B-compl ex vitamins (44). In patients with isolated systolic hypertension, supplementati on with both coenzyme Q10 (120 mg/d) and vitamin E (300 IU/d) for 12 weeks resul ted in an average decrease of 17 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure compared with 300 IU/day of vitamin E (300 IU/d) alone (45). However, further research is need ed to determine whether coenzyme Q10 supplementation can provide significant lon g-term benefit in the treatment of hypertension. (BOOKMARKED)=============================================================Blood p ressure lowering efficacy of coenzyme Q10 for primary hypertension Ho MJ, Bellusci A, Wright JM Published Online: October 7, 2009 Coenzyme Q10 has been studied as a potential treatment for hypertension, a commo n medical condition. However, there is not enough reliable evidence to show whet her or not it can be a useful medication to lower blood pressure. A systematic r eview was conducted to try and use all available data to answer this question. D atabases of clinical trials were searched for any studies that tested the effect s of coenzyme Q10 on patients' blood pressure compared to a placebo. The test me dications could be added to participants' regular anti-hypertensive medications or be used alone. Three trials with a total of 96 participants were found in whi ch coenzyme Q10 was used in patients with high blood pressure. The patients took coenzyme Q10 or a placebo daily for up to 8-12 weeks. Weighted data analysis sh owed that the systolic blood pressure was reduced by 11 mmHg and the diastolic b lood pressure was lowered by 7 mmHg compared to placebo. However, there are ques tions about the reliability of the available studies. Therefore, it is still unc ertain if coenzyme Q10 could be a useful hypertension treatment, and more studie s are needed.=================================================================== ============================================== Coenzyme Q10 Benefits For Hypertension

A Good Deal Of Research There has been a good deal of research concerning the coenzyme Q10 benefits for such heart conditions as congestive heart failure and cardiomyopathy. To learn m ore about these conditions and CoQ10 therapy, please return to the CoQ10 Main Pa ge and follow the links there. Research also demonstrates that coenzyme Q10 benefits include controlling high b lood pressure. In fact

In one study by Langsjoen et al, of 109 patients with essential hypertension , 51% were able to stop between one and three antihypertensive drugs at an avera ge of 4.4 months after starting CoQ10 treatment And Of 424 patients with cardiovascular disease, 43% were able to stop between o ne and three cardiovascular drugs with CoQ10 therapy. The authors conclude that the vitamin-like substance, CoQ10, "may be ushering in the new era of cellular/b iochemical treatment of disease, complementing and extending the systems-oriente d, macro and microscopic approach that has served us well to this point". To read a great article from which these words were taken please click here. This is exciting news for many of us. The authors of the above article are not a dvocating throwing away our meds . They do however recognize coenzyme Q10 benefits for preventing heart disease. They are also questioning our overdependence on pr escription drugs while ignoring natural methods. If CoQ10 is effective in lowering blood pressure (as well as providing benefits for other heart conditions) why are we not using it more? Perhaps it is because we are uninformed concerning coenzyme Q10 benefits for heart health. The studies that follow will help us become more informed. Coenzyme Q10 Benefits: Two Short-Term Studies A couple of short-term placebo-controlled trials on hypertension and CoQ10 provi de a good place for us to start our discussion. The first trial involved patients with hypertension and coronary artery disease. They were already receiving traditional treatments to lower their blood pressur e. In addition they were given 120 mg per day of Coenzyme Q10. After only 8 weeks the patients receiving the CoQ10 supplements saw a greater re duction in blood pressure compared to the patients receiving a placebo containin g B-complex vitamins. In particular their systolic blood pressure decreased 12 m m Hg more than the patients in the control group. Diastolic blood pressure was d own by 6 mm Hg. The second short-term trial involved patients with high systolic blood pressure. These patients were divided into two groups. One group received 120 mg per day of coenzyme Q10 and 300 IU per day of vitamin-E for 12 weeks. The other group re ceived only the vitamin-E. Systolic blood pressure was reduced in the CoQ10 group 17 mm Hg more than in the vitamin-E group. Two More Studies Concerning Coenzyme Q10 Benefits One study (mentioned earlier) involved 109 patients with essential hypertension each of which was already receiving antihypertensive drug therapy. Most of the p atients (80%) had been diagnosed with hypertension for several years (average 9. 2 years). Each patient received CoQ10 supplements in addition to their existing blood pres sure medicine. On average each patient received 225 mg of CoQ10 per day. However , the amount was adjusted for each patient in an attempt to raise CoQ10 blood le

vels to at least 2.0 micrograms/ml. The researchers reported that A definite and gradual improvement in functional status was observed with th e concomitant need to gradually decrease antihypertensive drug therapy within th e first one to six months. And In the 9.4% of patients with echocardiograms both before and during treatmen t, we observed a highly significant improvement in left ventricular wall thickne ss and diastolic function. Practically speaking, half of the patients were able to stop using one or more o f their antihypertensive drugs in an average of 4.4 months. To read an abstract of this study please use the link below. Treatment of essential hypertension with coenzyme Q10. Another study on coenzyme Q10 benefits involved 26 patients with essential arter ial hypertension. At the beginning of the 10-week trial plasma CoQ10 serum total cholesterol high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol blood pressure levels were recorded for each patient. Each patient received 50 mg CoQ10 twice d aily during the 10-week period. At the end of the treatment period Systolic blood pressure (SBP) decreased from 164.5 to 146.7 mmHg. Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) decreased from 98.1 to 86.1 mmHg. Plasma CoQ10 levels increased from 0.64 to 1.61micrograms/ml. Total cholesterol decreased from 222.9 to 213.3 mg/dl. HDL cholesterol (the good kind) increased from 41.1 to 43.1 mg/dl.

If you would like to read more about this study please use the link below. Coenzyme Q10 benefits in essential hypertension. What Do The Studies Show?

In addition to the promising research involving CoQ10 treatments for congestive heart failure and cardiomyopathy there is also strong evidence that Coenzyme Q10 benefits extend to the treatment of hypertension. In fact, as we see from the studies above, some patients (51%) were able to quit at least one blood pressure lowering drug within an average of 4.4 months of be ginning CoQ10 supplementation. For such patients this is great news. If you are serious about heart health you will not want to ignore the research s urrounding CoQ10 supplementation. Check with your doctor about adding CoQ10 to y our current therapy. If you are not taking medication then that is great. Consid er CoQ10 supplementation to keep your heart as healthy as it can be.