Coenzyme Q10 (Ubiquinone / Ubiquinol)

辅酶 Q10 · 线粒体辅基

Place · Level 3 · Supplement

线粒体 ETC 辅基 · Q-SYMBIO 心衰 A 级 · 他汀肌痛 B 级 · 偏头痛 B 级 · 形态 + 剂量真相

Connected to · 3

synergy · 2

Heart
Q-SYMBIO (Mortensen 2014, N=420, chronic HF) CoQ10 100 mg × 3/d × 2 yr halved all-cause and CV mortality. Statin therapy depletes endogenous CoQ10, plausibly contributing to myalgia (Banach 2015 meta: 100-200 mg/d reduces statin-associated myalgia).
Migraine
Sandor 2005 double-blind RCT (N=42) CoQ10 100 mg × 3/d × 3 mo cut migraine days ~50%; AHS 2012 lists it as Level B prevention. Slow onset (4-12 wk); together with Mg + B2 + fish oil forms atlas's 'nutritional quad' for migraine prophylaxis.

depletes · 1

Drug–Nutrient
Statins block the mevalonate pathway and lower blood CoQ10 — but note RCTs show CoQ10 supplements don't reliably relieve statin myalgia (Banach 2015).

Q10 · mitochondrial cofactor

Stop 1/4

Q10 · 线粒体辅基

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10, ubiquinone) is the cell's key electron shuttle between Complex I → II → III in the mitochondrial electron-transport chain (ETC) + one of the strongest intracellular lipid-soluble antioxidants.

Chemistry:

Benzoquinone ring + 10 isoprenoid side chains (the human form; mice have 9 → hence Q10)Oxidised (ubiquinone) ↔ reduced (ubiquinol) interconversion — the core of its electron-shuttle function
Body sources:

Endogenous synthesis (main): liver + heart + kidney + pancreas → shares the mevalonate pathway with cholesterol synthesisFood: organs (heart / liver / kidney) / sardines / beef / chicken — but < 5 mg/day, far less than endogenous
Why the atlas must cover Q10:

1. Effective for heart failure: Q-SYMBIO 2014 RCT (Mortensen, JACC HF) Level A evidence
2. Statin-induced muscle pain: partial Level B evidence, frequently used clinically
3. Migraine prevention: Level B (Sándor 2005, covered in atlas migraine story)
4. Mitochondrial disease: rare but Q10 is a core treatment
5. Massive anti-ageing marketing: real signal + lots of hype; the atlas debunks

The truth about "statin → ↓ Q10":

Statins inhibit HMG-CoA reductase → block cholesterol synthesisThe upstream of that pathway is also Q10 synthesis → blood Q10 ↓ 16-40% (Päivä 2005)But: the hypothesis "statin lowers Q10 → worsens heart failure" has no RCT evidence"Statin myalgia" may be partly Q10-related — Level B evidence that Q10 reduces myalgia (Banach 2015 meta)
Blood Q10 ≠ tissue Q10:

90% of plasma Q10 is bound to lipoproteins (LDL / HDL)"High blood Q10" often only reflects high blood lipid (lots of LDL)Actual cellular / cardiac / muscle Q10 correlates weakly with plasmaThis is one reason Q10 RCT interpretation is complicated

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Educational content, not medical advice — consult a clinician.

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