Coenzyme Q10, otherwise known as CoQ10, is a dietary supplement. It can be used as a complimentary and alternative form of medicine for a number of different conditions, including macular degeneration, Alzheimer's disease, angina, diabetes, breast cancer and hypertension, advises the Mayo Clinic. While there are many benefits to its use, CoQ10 may also cause adverse reactions in some people. One of these reactions is a condition known as hypotension.
Hypotension
Hypotension is characterized as low blood pressure, far lower than the normal blood pressure levels of less than 120 over 80 mm Hg, according to the Mayo Clinic. When someone's blood pressure dips below 91 mm Hg systolic (the active phase of the heartbeat) or 61 mm Hg diastolic (the resting phase of the heartbeat), it is an indication of hypotension.
Coenzyme Q10
According to the Mayo Clinic, CoQ10 may cause a decrease in blood pressure. In people suffering from hypertension, or high blood pressure, this could be a great benefit. The University of Maryland Medical Center states that people taking this dietary supplement often need lower dosages of blood pressure medications to improve hypertension. But for someone with low blood pressure, the decrease could have a hypotensive effect on the body, warns the American Association of Family Physicians, potentially causing serious health complications.
Evidence
Based on a meta-analysis of 12 separate clinical trials, the National Institutes of Health indicates that coenzyme Q10 has the potential of lowering systolic blood pressure up to 17 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure up to 10 mm Hg. Such a sizeable decrease in blood pressure could be dangerous, especially for those with naturally low blood pressure, to a point where they become hypotensive.
Symptoms
As blood pressure drops, the Mayo Clinic cautions that it could cause dizziness, faintness, lightheadedness or weakness. These symptoms may also be accompanied by nausea, rapid breathing, blurred vision, fatigue and even a loss of consciousness. These indicators are largely due to the reduction in oxygen circulating within the bloodstream, depriving tissue of this much needed nutrient. If left untreated, it may even cause damage to the brain or heart.
Considerations
Though side effects are rare, the American Association of Family Physicians suggests that people taking CoQ10 should be monitored by a health care provider, especially when it is used in conjunction with antihypertensive drugs. Over time, it may have a hypotensive effect on blood pressure.
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