BIOSYNTHESIS OF COQ10 requires at least seven vitamins: Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, Vitamin B5; and several trace elements. D ISCOVERED BY RESEARCHERS AT THE UNIVER-sity of Wisconsin in 1957, Coenzyme Q10 (CoQIO), also known as ubiquinone, is a powerful antioxidant. Its name comes from the word ubiquitous, which means found everywhere. Indeed, CoQ 10 is found in every cell in the body. This fat-soluble, vitamin-like enzyme is more abundant in some cells and organs than in others. It tends to congregate in the organs which need the most energy, especially the heart, brain and liver. The primary function of CoQ 10 is to provide cellular energy. In each cell, there are organelles (small organ cells) known as mitochondria. Mitochondria are similar to a car's cylinders. They allow a chain of chemical reactions to create a spark, which generates 95 percent of the body's energy. CoQ 10 is the spark that helps ignite adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the molecule that serves as the cell's major energy source. The importance ot CoQ 10 to maintain optimal health can't be overstated. A growing body of research shows that CoQ 10 may benefit a number of unwanted health conditions, including diabetes, periodontal disease, chronic fatigue, migraine headaches, skin cancers, diabetes, infertility, cardiovascular disease, immune dysfunction, asthma, muscular dystrophy, and Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's disease. The body can't manufacture CoQ 10; instead, we must obtain CoQ 10 from the foods we eat. Meat, dairy and certain vegetables, including spinach, and broccoli, contain the highest concentrations of CoQ 10. However, obtaining adequate amounts of CoQ 10 through diet alone poses a real challenge. It would take one pound of sardines, or two-and-a-half pounds of peanuts, to provide about 30mg of CoQ 10. This is at the very minimum of the recommended daily allowance. In reality, the typical daily intake of CoQ 10 from dietary sources is only about 3-5mg per day. This paltry amount isn't anywhere near the level required to significantly raise blood and tissue levels. And the fact that we tend to absorb and utilize less as we age increases the risk of developing a CoQIO deficiency. Researchers estimate that as little as a 25 percent decline in bodily CoQIO will initiate several disease states, including high blood pressure, heart disease, fatigue, cancer, and immune dysfunction. What's more, the biosynthesis of CoQIO from the amino acid tyrosine is a complex, highly vulnerable seventeen-step process. It requires at least seven vitamins (vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin B12, vitamin C, and B5) and several trace elements. Most American diets are deficient in at least one, if not all, of the cofac-tors for making CoQ 10; seventy-one percent are deficient in vitamin B6 alone. Dr. Karl Folkers, who has been honored with the Priestly Medal (the highest award bestowed by the American Chemical Society) for his work with CoQIO, believes that suboptimal nutrient intake in man is almost universal and these deficiencies prevent the biosynthesis of CoQIO. He suggests that, since the average or "normal" levels of CoQIO are really suboptimal, the very low levels observed in advanced disease states represent only the tip of a deficiency. Unless we are supplementing with CoQIO, we may be, in fact, suffering from a CoQIO deficiency. Given the added stress posed in today's society and the need for an ever increasing amount of antioxidants to counter this stress, could it be that many, if not all, of our chronic illnesses are due to suboptimal levels of CoQ 10? We know that a CoQIO deficiency can cause muscle weakness, nerve damage (neuropathy), back pain, inflammation of tendons and ligaments, hypertension, heart disease, angina, accelerated aging, certain cancers, and various neurodegen-erative diseases. The cardiovascular system is especially vulnerable to CoQIO deficiencies. The heart consumes huge amounts of CoQIO initiated ATP. The muscles of the heart contract and relax some 100,000 times a day and pump blood through 60,000 miles of arteries and veins with each beat. Dr. Folkers reports, "I believe it is quite possible that cardiovascular disease may be significantly caused by a deficiency of CoQ 10. CoQ 10 is known to be deficient in congestive heart failure (CHF), with the degree of deficiency in blood and cardiac tissue correlating with the severity of the CHF." The results of using CoQIO in treating cardiovascular related illnesses can be quite dramatic as the studies cited in the references on page 250 illustrate. A group of class IV (terminal) CHF patients were supplemented with CoQIO in addition to their prescription medications. Normally, class IV patients live only a matter of days. Seventy-one percent of those taking the CoQIO survived one year and 62 percent survived two years! Administering CoQIO (50-150mg daily) for ninety days to 2,664 patients with CHF resulted in the following symptomatic and clinical improvements: cyanosis (bluish skin color), 78.1%; edema, 78.6%; pulmonary crackle, 77.8%; dyspnea (poor breathing). 52.7%; palpitations, 75.4%; sweating, 79.8%; arrhythmia (irregular heart beats), 63.4%; and vertigo, 73.1%. CoQIO significantly improves diastolic and systolic pressure in essential hypertension. Studies show that taking 100-225mg of CoQIO a day reduces blood systolic blood pressure by an average of fifteen points and diastolic pressure by ten points. And more than half of patients receiving 225mg/day were able to terminate use of from one to three antihypertensive medications. Mitral valve prolapse is a common condition associated with a heart murmur. It is often asymptomatic but can produce chest pain, arrhythmia, or leakage of the valve, leading to congestive heart disease. One study showed that, when children with mitral valve prolapse received CoQlO (2 mg/ kg a day) for eight weeks, heart function returned to normal in seven of the eight children; none of the placebo-treated patients improved. Relapse was common among those who stopped taking the medication within twelve to seventeen months, but rarely occurred in those who took CoQlO for nineteen months or more. In diabetes, which has several of the same characteristics as cardiovascular disease, CoQlO has proven itself to be a valuable therapy for restoring normal blood sugar levels. CoQ 10 has been shown to lower fasting blood glucose levels by 31 percent, while destructive ketone-bodies were reduced by a whopping 51 percent. Even the common symptom of heart disease, chest pain, is no match for CQ10 therapy. Compared to placebo, CoQ 10 was shown to reduce the frequency of angina or chest pain by 53 percent. The benefits of CoQ 10 in the treatment of cardiovascular disease are indisputable; CoQ 10 should be the first line of therapy for anyone suffering from cardiovascular disease. Yet, incredibly, the common drugs used as car-dio-rclated drugs actually deplete CoQ 10. Theses drugs include beta-blockers (Toprol, Tenormin, Coreg, Lopressor, Inderal, and others), vasodilators (hydralazine), thiazidc diuretics (Aldactazide, Diuril, Dyazide, Moduretic, HydroDiuril, Mico-zide, and others), centrally-active hypertensives (Clonidine or Catapres, Aldoril, and Methyldopa) and, of course, lipid-lowering statins (Lipitor, Cre-stor, Zocor. Mevacor, Vytorin, and others). Other drugs that deplete CoQ 10 include anti-diabetic sulfonylureas drugs (Acetohexamides, Amaryl, Diabenese, Diabeta, Glucatrol, Micro-nase, Glyburide and Tolazamide), and tricyclic antidepressants (Elavil, Trazadone, Doxepin, Pamelor, and others). Could it be that patients with cardiovascular-related illnesses actually accelerate their illness by taking these medications? Could the rise of statins and other popular cardio drugs, including beta-blockers, which deprive the heart of CoQ 10, be the reason for the increase in hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and congestive heart failure (CHF)? And, just as important, could these medications be causing or contributing to the chronic pain, fatigue, immune dysfunction, migraines, brain fog. hypertension, CHF, and or neuropathy symptoms of our patients? My experience suggests that they often do cause or contribute to the overall poor health of the patients I see, especially the complicated "medical misfits." Dr. Murphree is a hoard certified nutritional specialist and chiropractic physician who has been in private practice since 1990. He is the founder and past clinic director for a large integrated medical practice located on the campus of Broobivood Hospital in Birmingham. Alabama. He is the author of five books for patients and doctors. In 2002, Dr. Murphree sold his medical practice and now maintains a busy solo practice specializing infibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, heart disease, mood disorders, and other chronic illnesses. He can be reached toll free I-SHH-HH4-9577oral I-205-H79-2383; by email at drrodgeiiw,yahoo.com; or visit mm: TreatingandBeating.com. References Emile G. Bliznakov, M.D. and Gerald L. Hunt. The Miracle Nutrient Coenzyme QIO, Bantam Books. New York, NY. 1986. Judy. W.V., Hall, J.H.. Dugan, W.. Toth, P.D, and Folkers. K. Coenzymc QIO Reduction of Adrianmycin Cardiotoxicity. Biomedical and Clinical Aspects of Coenzyme QIO, Vol.4 pp.231-241, Elsevier Science Publ B.V., 1984. Bliznakov EG. Effect of stimulation of the host defense system by coenzyme Q 10 on dibcnzpyrene-induced tumors and infection with Friend leukemia virus in mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1973 Feb; 70(2): 390-4. Langjoen P, Willis R, Folkers K. Treatment of essential hypertension with coenzyme QIO. Mol Aspects Med. 1994; I5:S265-S272. Kamikawa et al.. Effect of Coenzymc QIO on Exercise Tolerance in Chronic Stable Angina Pectoris. Am. J. Canlioi. 56, 247. 1985. Folkers K; Vadhanavikit S; Mortensen SA. Biochemical rationale and myocardial tissue data on the effective therapy of cardiomyopathy with coenzymc QIO. Pmc NatlAcacJSci US A, 1985 Feb. 82:3,901- 4. Hattersley JG. Lowering cholesterol with Lovastatin. The wrong approach. A survey of usually overlooked literature. J Ortlmmolecular Meet. 2004; 9(1): 54-7. Ishiyama T, Morital Y, Toyama S ct al. A clinical study of the effect of coenzyme QIO on congestive heart failure. Jpn Heart J 1976; 17:32. Baggio E, Gandini R, Plancher AC. ltalicn multicentcr study on the safety and efficacy of coenzyme QIO as an adjunctive therapy in heart failure. CoQIO Drug Surveillance Investigators. Mol Aspects Med \994; 15:s287-294. Ghirlanda G.. Oradei A.. Manto A.. Lippa S.. Uccioli L., Caputo S.. Greco A.V.. Littarru G.P. (1993) Evidence of Plasma CoQIO - Lowering Effect by HMG-CoA Rcductasc Inhibitors: A double blind, placebo-controlled study. Clin. Pharmacol., J. 33, 3, 226-229. 11. What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Hypertension. Mark Houston, M.D. pg 69-71. Warner Books New York, NY. 2003. 12.Simonscn, R., Two Successful Double-Blind Trials with Coenzyme Q10 on Muscular Dystrophies and Ncurogcnic Atrophies, Biochim. Biophys. Ada: 1271,281, 1995. l3.Langsjoen et al., A Six-Year Clinical Study of Therapy of Cardiomyopathy with Coenzyme Q10, Int. J. Tissue React.: 12, 169, 1990 14.0da, T. & Hamamoto, K., Effect of Coenzyme Q10 on the Stress-Induced Decrease of Cardiac Performance in Pediatric patients with Mitral Valve Prolapse. .A//;. Ore. J.: 48, 1387, 1984. 15.Pelton R., LaVallc J., Hawkins E., Krinsnsky D., Drug-Induced Nutrient Depletion Handbook, Natural Health Resources, 1999. | Could it be that patients with cardiovascular-related illnesses actually accelerate their illnesses by taking these medications?
