Answer : First identifed in 1957, coenzyme Q-10 (CoQ-10) is a vitamin-like substance found throughout the body, but especially in the heart, liver, kidneys and pancreas. You get small amounts in the diet from meat and seafood, and its also sold as a supplement, manufactured by fermenting beets and sugar with special strains of yeast. The supplement is touted as effective against everything from heart disease to cancer, as well as for boosting energy and even prolonging lifespan. Accord- ing to the governments Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, the evidence for supplmental CoQ-10 is mixed. The only condi- tions its likely effective for are rare inherited mitochondrial disorders and CoQ-10 defciency. Its possibly effective for some heart condi- tions, lowering blood pressure, preventing mi- graines and slowing the decline of Parkinsons victims. Other purported benefts, including cancer prevention, lack suffcient evidence.
Since your doctor is suggesting a combination with fish oil, hes presumably looking at possible cardiovascular benefts. A recent review of CoQ-10 in cardiovascular disease found few quality randomized trials demonstrating any clinical beneft, concluding, The value of Coenzyme Q-10 supplementa- tion in patients with cardiovascular disease is still an open question, with neither convincing evidence supporting nor refuting evidence of beneft or harm. Another review that focused on blood-pressure benefts concluded, Due to the possible unreliability of some of the included studies, it is uncertain whether or not coenzyme Q10 reduces blood pressure in the long-term management of primary hyperten- sion. Recent evidence does support a role for CoQ-10 in improving the function of the cells that line arterial walls.
Be aware, however, that the effects of CoQ-10 may be decreased by medications used to treat cholesterol, blood pressure and blood-sugar levels, according to the National Cancer Institute. In turn, CoQ-10 may change the way the body uses the anti-clotting medi- cation warfarin and insulin.