High Dose CoenzymeQ10 Safety

An open-label dose-escalation trial was performed to assess the safety and tolerability of high doses of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients.

CoQ10, a cofactor in mitochondrial electron transfer, may improve the mitochondrial dysfunction in ALS. In this study, CoQ10 was safe and well tolerated in 31 subjects treated with doses as high as 3,000 mg/day for 8 months.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's disease," is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually lead to their death. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed. Yet, through it all, for the vast majority of people, their minds remain unaffected.

Source:

K. L. Ferrante, J. Shefner, H. Zhang, R. Betensky, M. O'Brien, H. Yu, M. Fantasia, J. Taft, M. F. Beal, B. Traynor, K. Newhall, P. Donofrio, J. Caress, C. Ashburn, B. Freiberg, C. O'Neill, C. Paladenech, T. Walker, A. Pestronk, B. Abrams, J. Florence, R. Renna, J. Schierbecker, B. Malkus, and M. Cudkowicz; Tolerance of high-dose (3,000 mg/day) coenzyme Q10 in ALS; Neurology 2005 Dec 13;65(11):1834-6.

Key concepts: coenzyme Q10, coq10, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS, dosage, safety