Coenzyme Q₁₀ in aging and disease

Coenzyme Q₁₀ (CoQ₁₀) is an essential component of the electron transport chain. It also acts as an antioxidant in cellular membranes. It can be endogenously produced in all cells by a specialized mitochondrial pathway. CoQ₁₀ deficiency, which can result from aging or insufficient enzyme function, has been considered to increase oxidative stress. Some drugs, including statins and bisphosphonates, often used by older individuals, can interfere with enzymes responsible for endogenous CoQ₁₀ synthesis. Oral supplementation with high doses of CoQ₁₀ can increase both its circulating and intracellular levels and several clinical trials observed that its administration provided beneficial effects on different disorders such as cardiovascular disease and inflammation which have been associated with low CoQ₁₀ levels and high oxidative stress. Moreover, CoQ₁₀ has been suggested as a promising therapeutic agent to prevent and slow the progression of other diseases including metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, neurodegenerative and male infertility. However, there is still a need for further studies and well-designed clinical trials involving a large number of participants undergoing longer treatments to assess the benefits of CoQ₁₀ for these disorders.