Coenzyme Q-10 (CoQ-10) is a vitamin-like substance found throughout the body, but especially in the

heart

,

liver

,

kidney

, and

pancreas

. It is eaten in small amounts in meats and seafood. Coenzyme Q-10 can also be made in a laboratory. It is used as medicine.

Many people use coenzyme Q-10 for treating heart and

blood

vessel conditions such as

congestive heart failure

(CHF),

chest pain

(

angina

),

high blood pressure

, and heart problems linked to certain

cancer

drugs

. It is also used for

diabetes

, gum disease (both taken by mouth and applied directly to the gums),

breast cancer

, Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease,

muscular dystrophy

, increasing

exercise

tolerance,

chronic fatigue

syndrome (CFS), and

Lyme disease

. Some people think coenzyme Q-10 will treat

hair loss

related to taking

warfarin

(

Coumadin

), a medication used to slow blood clotting.

Some people also think coenzyme Q-10 might help increase energy. This is because coenzyme Q-10 has a role in producing ATP, a molecule in body cells that functions like a rechargeable battery in the transfer of energy. Coenzyme Q-10 been tried for treating inherited or acquired disorders that limit energy production in the cells of the body (mitochondrial disorders), and for improving exercise performance.

Some people have also used coenzyme Q-10 for strengthening the immune systems of people with

HIV

/

AIDS

, male

infertility

,

migraine

headache

, and counteracting

muscle pain

sometimes caused by a group of

cholesterol

-lowering medications called “statins.”

Coenzyme Q-10 has even been tried for increasing life span. This idea got started because coenzyme Q-10 levels are highest in the first 20 years of life. By age 80, coenzyme-Q10 levels can be lower than they were at birth. Some people thought that restoring high levels of coenzyme-Q10 late in life might cause people to live longer. The idea works in bacteria, but not in lab rats. More research is needed to see if this works in people.

It’s not only time that uses up the body’s store of coenzyme Q-10.

Smoking

does, too.

Coenzyme Q-10 was first identified in 1957. The “Q-10” refers to the chemical make-up of the substance. These days coenzyme Q-10 is used by millions of people in Japan for

heart disease

, especially congestive

heart failure

. Coenzyme Q-10 is also used extensively in Europe and Russia. Most of the coenzyme Q-10 used in the US and Canada is supplied by Japanese companies. Coenzyme Q-10 is manufactured by fermenting beets and sugar cane with special strains of yeast.

How does it work?Coenzyme Q-10 is an important vitamin-like substance required for the proper function of many organs and chemical reactions in the body. It helps provide energy to cells. Coenzyme Q-10 also seems to have antioxidant activity. People with certain diseases, such as congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, periodontal disease, Parkinson’s disease, certain muscular diseases, and AIDS, might have lower levels of coenzyme Q-10.