High blood pressure is a serious medical condition in which the arterial blood pressure is elevated. Blood pressure is the force exerted by circulating blood upon the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood. If this pressure stays high over time, it can damage your heart, kidneys and blood vessels. Blood pressure levels above 120/80 mm Hg raises your risk, and the risk grows as blood pressure numbers rise. An alternative treatment for high blood pressure is CoQ10 supplements. Speak to your doctor before taking CoQ10 supplements for high blood pressure.
Coenzyme Q10
CoQ10 is a vitaminlike compound in the mitochondria -- the energy-producing part of all body cells. CoQ10 is a key player in producing the cell's major energy source in the form of adenosine triphosphate molecule. Every muscle in your body, particularly the heart, the muscle that has highest demand for energy, cannot function without CoQ10. A CoQ10 deficiency affects the heat the most and may lead to primary heart and vascular diseases including high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure.
Research
A study published in the November 2001 "Southern Medical Journal" found that coenzyme Q10 may be an effective treatment for people with a common type of high blood pressure. The experiment involved 83 patients with a condition called isolated systolic hypertension, in which the higher blood pressure number -- systolic -- is elevated, but the lower blood pressure number -- diastolic -- is normal. Patients were assigned to take either CoQ10 at a dosage of 60 mg twice daily or a placebo for 12 weeks. According to researchers, people taking CoQ10 showed an 18-point reduction in systolic blood pressure, compared with only a 2-point decline in the placebo group.
Blood Pressure Medications
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, coenzyme Q10 supplements may enhance the effectiveness of certain blood pressure medications including diltiazem, metoprolol, enalapril and nitroglycerin. CoQ10 supplementation may lower the need for higher dosages of these drugs; however, more research is needed to verify these results.
Adverse Effects
A 2007 meta-analysis of the clinical trials of CoQ10 for hypertension, published in the "Journal of Human Hypertension" assessed the overall efficacy, consistency of therapeutic action and side-effect incidence. The study concluded that coenzyme Q10 has the potential to lower blood pressure without significant side effects. According to researchers, CoQ10 may be safely offered to high blood pressure patients as an alternative treatment option. However, according to the American Heart Association, the safety of CoQ10 still need to be further evaluated.
References
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: What is High Blood Pressure?
- University of Maryland Medical Center: CoQ10
- "Southern Medical Journal"; Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Coenzyme Q10 in Isolated Systolic Hypertension; B. Burke et al.; November 2001
- "Journal of Human Hypertension"; Coenzyme Q10 in the treatment of hypertension: a meta-analysis of the clinical trials; F. Rosenfeldt et al.; April 2007.
- American Heart Association: Coenzyme Q10
