Serum concentration of lipoprotein(a) decreases on treatment with hydrosoluble coenzyme Q10 in patients with coronary artery disease: discovery of a new role

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on serum lipoprotein(a) in patients with acute coronary disease. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized double blind placebo controlled trial. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Subjects with clinical diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina, angina pectoris (based on WHO criteria) with moderately raised lipoprotein(a) were randomized to either coenzyme Q10 as Q-Gel (60 mg twice daily) (coenzyme Q10 group, n=25) or placebo (placebo group, n=22) for a period of 28 days. RESULTS: Serum lipoprotein(a) showed significant reduction in the coenzyme Q10 group compared with the placebo group (31.0% vs 8.2% P<0.001) with a net reduction of 22.6% attributed to coenzyme Q10. HDL cholesterol showed a significant increase in the intervention group without affecting total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and blood glucose showed a significant reduction in the coenzyme Q10 group. Coenzyme Q10 supplementation was also associated with significant reductions in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, malon/dialdehyde and diene conjugates, indicating an overall decrease in oxidative stress. CONCLUSION: Supplementation with hydrosoluble coenzyme Q10 (Q-Gel) decreases lipoprotein(a) concentration in patients with acute coronary disease.