Coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10, is a fat-soluble, vitamin-like substance manufactured in your cells, where it is needed for the production of adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. ATP is a molecular form of energy that is used as metabolic fuel. CoQ10 also serves as an antioxidant within your cell membranes. Therefore, CoQ10 is particularly important in metabolically active tissues, such as your muscles. CoQ10 is available without a prescription, but check with your doctor to see if it is appropriate for you.
Statin-Induced Deficiency
CoQ10 is synthesized in the same multi-step, enzymatic pathway used by your cells to produce cholesterol. HMG-CoA reductase, one of the most important enzymes in this pathway, is targeted by a group of drugs called statins, which are used to lower serum cholesterol levels. A review in the spring 2010 issue of "The Ochsner Journal" reported that statins -- by interfering with HMG-CoA reductase -- routinely reduce your serum levels of CoQ10 and probably your muscle levels as well. Statin-induced CoQ10 deficiency may be one cause of the muscle damage that occurs in some patients taking statin drugs.
Genetic Disorders
According to scientists at Columbia University Medical Center in New York in a June 2008 article in "Mitochondrion," a number of hereditary diseases leading to muscular CoQ10 deficiency have been identified, and in some of these conditions, the genetic defects have been characterized. Many of these disorders are manifested by muscle pain and weakness, although other abnormalities, such as neurological and kidney problems, are often present. Supplementation with CoQ10 is often helpful for people affected by these conditions because the basic defect is a lack of CoQ10 production.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a condition characterized by muscle pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, headaches and mood disorders. A study published in the September 2010 issue of "Clinical Biochemistry" demonstrates abnormally low levels of CoQ10 in the white blood cells and skin of fibromyalgia patients, perhaps indicating generalized tissue deficiencies of CoQ10 in these individuals. The study's authors suggest that CoQ10 levels could be used as a diagnostic test for fibromyalgia.
Considerations
Muscular CoQ10 deficiencies have been recognized in several conditions, including genetic disorders, statin-treated individuals and fibromyalgia patients. Your cells require CoQ10 for efficient energy production, while your muscles are particularly dependent on CoQ10 due to their high metabolic rates. Interestingly, not all deficiency states are improved with CoQ10 supplementation, perhaps because certain tissues in your body do not absorb it. Therapeutic doses of CoQ10 range from 30 to 100 mg daily, although doses up to 3,000 mg have been used with medical supervision. Ask your physician if CoQ10 could be helpful for you.
References
- Linus Pauling Institute; Coenzyme Q10; Jane Higdon, Ph.D.; Feb. 2007
- "The Ochsner Journal"; Coenzyme Q10 and Statin-Induced Mitochondrial Dysfunction; R. Deichmann, et al.; Spring 2010
- "Mitochondrion"; CoQ10 Deficiency Diseases in Adults; C.M. Quinzii, et al.; June 2007
- "Clinical Biochemistry"; Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Skin Biopsies and Mononuclear Cells from Two Cases of Fibromyalgia Patients; M.D. Cordero, et al.; September 2010
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