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PCCS: Coenzyme Q10 Improves Cardiac Function in Children with Dilated Cardiomyopathy By Cameron Johnston Special to DG News TORONTO, ON -- May 30, 2001 -- An enhanced formulation of a popular weight loss product found in health food stores, coenzyme Q10, may be useful in helping to improve heart function in young people with dilated cardiomyopathy. In a small study presented here today at the 3rd World Congress on Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, Drs. Elshershari and Ozer from the Haceteppe University Faculty of Medicine in Ankara, Turkey, reported that Q10 proved to be "remarkably beneficial" when used to treat three children with dilated cardiomyopathy. Q10 is a micro-nutrient which provides nourishment for the cellular mitochondria. It is well-known that cardiac metabolism is directly associated with this mitochondrial respiratory chain, and that up to 25 percent of all cardiomyopathies are associated with mitochondrial disease. The children in the study ranged in age from four to 12 months and had NYHA (New York Heart Association) class III heart disease. The patients were given coenzyme Q10 mixed with soya oil, 10 mg/day, B.I.D., and were followed for a mean of six months. The Q10 was delivered as an adjunct to their standard therapy, which consisted of an ACE inhibitor, diuretics and digoxin. As a result of using coenzyme Q10, the patients’ heart disease classification decreased from NYHA III to NYHA I. They also experienced a significant change in fractional shortening which is a measure of ventricular function, and a significant increase in left ventricular ejection fraction. Chest X-ray revealed a decrease in cardio-thoracic ratio. Electrocardiogram also revealed a regression of left ventricular hypertrophy and a complete disappearance of left ventricular strain. The patients went through an initial monitoring period of one to eight months during which they received only standard therapy. During this phase of the study, there were no meaningful changes in any measured parameters - all of the change occurred when Q10 was added, Dr. Elshershari said. Despite the fact that Q10 does not have any effect on left ventricular function in adults, it was beneficial for these young patients, she said. A possible weakness in the study is that plasma Q10 levels were not measured at baseline, nor were endomyocardial biopsies performed. At least part of the motivation for this study was that results of biopsies of hearts suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy found them to be deficient in Q10, Dr. Elshershari explained. "Because of the small size of this study, we can’t definitely say this was the answer, or recommend its use for all cases of cardiomyopathy," she said. Nonetheless, it is worth pursuing in a further study to determine the true benefit of this product in treating children with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version