An enlarged heart is the typical progression of heart failure. As one of the most prevalent diseases in the developed world, countless amounts of money funnel into medical research looking for the cure, or a promise of relief; yet, it is the latest, greatest, and "patentable" drug that garners all the press. Many potentially therapeutic compounds, like coenzyme Q10, cannot be patented, and so any benefits these compounds may have is often obscured and buried amid a commercial mess. Coenzyme Q10 may offer a helpful alternative if you suffer an enlarged heart, but you must be willing to do your homework and consult with your physician if you want to get it right.
Understanding an Enlarged Heart
The medical term for an enlarged heart is dilated cardiomyopathy. It is associated with a chronic disease state of the cardiac muscle, and is one of the leading risk factors in the development of heart failure. As heart failure advances, the heart pumps out less oxygenated blood. Under the stress of the body's demand for oxygen, the heart is forced to work harder, and gradually the hearts chambers become larger, its muscle becomes thinner, and its effect as a pump becomes baggy and weak. The advancement of heart failure results in decreased levels of myocardial coenzyme Q10, and as the muscle remodels, patients are at greater risk for developing arrhythmic events.
The Stages of Heart Failure
Physicians use diagnostic testing and the New York Heart Association, or NYHA, functional classification system to determine the severity of heart failure. Though heart failure does not have a cure, the success of a therapy in slowing the progression, or improving the quality of life, depends on the heart failure stage present once a treatment begins. In the NYHA system, patients rate their quality of life against the burden of symptoms associated with the activities of everyday life. Ask your doctor what NYHA class you are in, because therapeutic research in heart failure, including treatment with coenzyme Q10, typically looks at a therapy's effectiveness according to a patient's NYHA class. In the November 2006 issue of the "European Heart Journal," researchers studying the effects of Coenzyme Q10 in patients with NYHA class II and III heart failure found it to improve the heart's contractility without side effects.
Heart Disease and the Role of Coenzyme Q10
Coenzyme Q10 is also know as CoQ10, Q10, vitamin Q10, ubiquinone, or ubidecarenone. It is a naturally occurring compound that is synthesized at the cellular level, and occurs, in one form or another, in nearly every cell. In addition to residing inside cells, CoQ10 circulates in the blood via the lipoprotein shuttles that are notorious for carrying cholesterol. CoQ10 is also an important antioxidant, and there is adequate evidence that antioxidants have a key role in circumventing the premature death of fatty cells; a process central in the development of atherosclerosis. Coenzyme Q10 also plays a central function in muscle tissues' ability to generate the energy necessary to contract, which is a primary concern for a weakened, enlarged heart.
Efficacy of Coenzyme Q10 in Heart Failure
CoQ10 has a significant body of research behind it, particularly with respect to heart disease, including cardiomyopathy and heart failure. In the 2001 issue of "Pharmacotherapy," researchers sought to provide recommendations concerning the safety, efficacy and dosage of CoQ10 in the management of heart failure. Relevant data, including clinical trials, articles, and reviews, was collected from medical databases from 1974 to 2000. The findings concluded that CoQ10 appears safe, effective and favorable for treatment of cardiovascular conditions in the adult population. However, more research on dosages was recommended. According to a study published in the 2005 issue of "Biofactors," NYHA class II and III heart failure patients given oral coenzyme Q10 experienced improvements in ventricular ejection fraction, which is the volume of blood ejected per beat, by approximately 15 percent.
References
- Heart Failure Society of America: What Puts Me at Risk Of Heart Failure:
- "Proceeding of the National Academy of Science, USA"; Biochemical Rationale and Myocardial Tissue Data on the Effective Therapy of Cardiomyopathy with Coenzyme Q10; Folkers K, et al.; Feb. 1985
- American Heart Association: Classification of Functional Capacity and Objective Assessment:
- "European Heart Journal"; Coenzyme Q10 and Exercise Training in Chronic Heart Failure; Belardinelli R. et al.; Nov. 2006
- "Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing"; Coenzyme Q10 and Cardiovascular Disease: A Review; Sarter B.; July 2002
- "Pharmacotherapy"; Role Of Coenzyme Q10 in Chronic Heart Failure, Angina, and Hypertension; Mitchell TM et al.; July 2001
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