Complaints of fatigue, swelling of hands and feet, and difficulty breathing are all too common complaints from older adults.

Unfortunately, these may be signs of serious heart conditions.

Here are some alarming reports recently released by the American Heart Association:

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for approximately 800,000 deaths in the United States or one out of every three deaths.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) accounts for the majority of cardiovascular disease (CVD) deaths, followed by stroke and heart failure.

An estimated 790,000 US adults experience a heart attack each year.

Stroke accounts for 1 of 20 deaths in the US. Approximately every 40 seconds, someone experiences a stroke

Fortunately, scientific studies are revealing that the mitochondrial energizer known as coenzyme Q10 - or CoQ10 for short, may have significant benefits for people with cardiovascular disease (CVD), including reduced risk for repeat heart attacks and improved outcomes in patients with heart failure, to lowering blood pressure and helping combat side effects of cholesterol-lowering statins.

There was also a report from a recent study published in Cardiovascular Pharmacology: Open Access that CoQ10 may have “significant cardiovascular protective effects” that could help prevent CVD.

Coenzyme Q10

What is Coenzyme Q10?

CoQ10 is a powerful antioxidant found in every cell of the human body, most abundantly in the heart and major organs. It protects the cells from a wide assortment of free radicals.

As an enzyme activator, this nutrient aids metabolic reaction such as the complex process of transforming food into ATP, the energy on which the body runs. (Source: Build a Better You, Richard Brouse )

What are the different forms of CoQ10?

There are two forms of CoQ10: ubiquinone (u″bĭ-kwĭ-nōn) and ubiquinol (u″bĭ-kwĭ-nōl).

Ubiquinol , the active antioxidant form of CoQ10, is made in the body from ubiquinone .

Coenzyme Q10 Deficiency

What are the signs of a Coenzyme Q10 deficiency?

Studies in both animals and humans have associated significant decrease in levels of CoQ10 with a wide variety of diseases. Since this enzyme is found in high concentration in the heart muscle cells, deficiency has been associated with cardiovascular problems including angina, arrhythmia, heart failure, and high blood pressure.

Problems with blood sugar regulation, gingival (gum) health, and stomach ulcers have also been associated with CoQ10 deficiency.

How does CoQ10 affect heart health?

Coenzyme Q10 is beneficial for heart health in many ways. It helps assure circulatory health and supports optimal functioning of the heart muscle. CoQ10 may also help support the health of vessel walls.

Recent studies suggest that CoQ10, either alone or combined with other therapies, may be beneficial for the following conditions.

High blood pressure
In an analysis of 12 clinical studies, researchers reported that CoQ10 has the potential to lower systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) by up to 17 mm Hg and diastolic pressure by 10 mm Hg without significant side effects.

Heart failure
As a pharmaceutical, CoQ10 was hailed as “the first new drug to improve heart failure mortality in over a decade” after a multicenter randomized study of 420 patients found that taking it reduced deaths in patients with severe heart failure by half, compared to a control group.

The researchers tracked the patients for two years. The study was presented at the Heart Failure 2013 congress in Lisbon and later published in Journal of the American College of Cardiology Heart Failure .

Coenzyme Q10 Deficiency

After heart attack
In a randomized clinical trial , patients who received CoQ10 soon after a heart attack had a much lower rate of subsequent cardiac events over the next year than a control group (24.6 percent versus 45 percent).

About half the patients in both groups were also taking a statin medication, prompting the researchers to report that, “treatment with CoQ10 in patients with recent heart attacks may be beneficial in patients with high risk of atherothrombosis, despite optimal lipid-lowering therapy.”

Statin-related muscle symptoms
Here's another interesting result, in a 2014 randomized clinical study published in Medical Science Monitor, 75 percent of statin users with muscle symptoms reported reduced pain after taking CoQ10 twice a day for 30 days, versus zero improvements in the placebo group. The researchers concluded that combining statin therapy with CoQ10 supplements could lead to higher compliance with treatment.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD)
Recent studies are also showing fascinating reports that CoQ10 supplements can significantly increase HDL-C and ApoA1 levels, even in people taking statins, and may help reduce the risk for CVD.

CoQ10 supplementation also lowers levels of inflammatory biomarkers shown to be risk factors for CVD, such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. Furthermore, low CoQ10 levels have been associated with greater tissue damage to the heart during a heart attack and the brain during a stroke.

A poor diet, genetics, a sedentary lifestyle, and smoking contribute to the depletion of CoQ10 in our bodies. Certain medications also reduce the production of CoQ10.

Fortunately, good nutrition and physical activity can dramatically improve your quality of life and may protect you against premature heart problems.

Coenzyme Q10

Some of the primary dietary sources of CoQ10 include:

Grass-fed beef
Cage-free eggs
Strawberries
Herring
Free-range chicken

Sesame seeds
Rainbow trout
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Oranges

Sardines
Pistachio nuts
Mackerel

Currently, there are no specific dietary intake recommendations for CoQ10 that have been established by the Institute of Medicine or other agencies. Because it’s a fat-soluble antioxidant, it’s most easily absorbed when consumed with a few healthy fats.

Although CoQ10 can be obtained from certain foods, foods sources supply minimal amounts, this is why many experts recommend supplementing .

Supplementation may help you meet the needs of the depleting CoQ10. However, many supplements are poorly absorbed.

This is why I recommend Shaklee's CoQHeart.

CoQHeart with Q-Trol delivers 100 mg of coenzyme Q10 to help replenish levels in your blood and facilitate the production of energy in your cells.

Based on laboratory studies, it also helps protect arteries against the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), which may help promote blood vessel function.

Learn More.

Shaklee COQHeart

What makes Shaklee CoQHeart unique?

It contains a proprietary blend of CoQ10 and resveratrol, clinically tested ingredients that work to help produce energy and power your heart
It has a heart-healthy olive oil delivery system
It's all natural

Shaklee Heart

Your heart pumps approximately 2,000 gallons of blood every day. As the hardest-working muscle in your body and the circulatory system's main control center, your heart requires a significant amount of energy to function properly. That energy is made available with the help of CoQ10. Watching what you eat, maintaining a healthy weight, staying active, giving up smoking, getting your zzzz's, and increasing your Coq10 levels with Shaklee's CoQHeart will go a long way in keeping your ticker running efficiently and reducing your risk of heart disease.

Thanks for reading!

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Heart Health Benefits of CoQ10