CoQ10 may not provide benefits to individuals with Parkinson's disease

A new study reported in the Archives of Neurology published online (May, 14, 2007) suggests that CoQ10 may not provide benefits to individuals with Parkinson's disease.

These findings contradict results from earlier studies involving a high purity CoQ10 supplement, Vitaline(R) CoQ10. Richard M. Delany, M.D., FACC, and founder of Personalized Preventive Medicine, finds that a closer review of this latest study design reveals important weaknesses, including the use of a short study duration (3 months) and a low daily dosage (300 mg), and failure to use the clinically proven CoQ10 product, Vitaline CoQ10.

One earlier 16-month multi-center, randomized, parallel-group, placebo- controlled, double-blind study, published in the Archives of Neurology, found CoQ10 supplementation reduced the progression of Parkinson's Disease as measured by the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) -- which evaluates severity of PD. The most dramatic results were seen in the 1200 mg/day group (the highest dosage), who experienced a 44% less functional decline compared to individuals receiving placebo. Another study, published in 2004, examined the safety and tolerability of escalating dosages of Vitaline CoQ10 (up to 3,000 mg daily). This study discovered that blood levels of CoQ10 reached their peak at 2,400 mg dosage, thereby suggesting increased benefit at this higher dose.

"Although this new study utilized nanoparticular CoQ10, there has been no correlation between nanoparticular dose and a traditional CoQ10 dose. The 300 mg dose utilized in this study might be ineffective simply because it is a very low regimen for Parkinson's Disease," states Dr. Delany.

The second point to consider is the study duration of only 3 months. According to Dr. Delany, "Neurodegenerative disease studies typically span between 6 months to several years. Six months may allow researchers to establish a trend or to evaluate the safety of a product, but three months will not be sufficient to establish benefit."

Although the clinical findings were not positive, the results may be attributed to poor study design. Further analysis using a more effective dosage level and duration may confirm efficacy.