Supplementation of Coenzyme Q10 May Benefit Multiple System Atrophy

HealthDay News — Patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA) have reduced levels of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), according to a study published in JAMA Neurology.

Jun Mitsui, MD, PhD, from the University of Tokyo, and colleagues compared levels of plasma CoQ10 in patients with MSA and matched controls. Forty-four patients with MSA and 39 controls, matched for age, sex, and COQ2 genotype, were enrolled. MSA was diagnosed on the basis of the second consensus criteria by 2 or more neurologists.

The researchers found that the mean plasma level of CoQ10 was lower in patients with MSA than controls (0.51 versus 0.72 µg/mL; P = 0.01). In patients with the cerebellar and parkinsonian variants of MSA, the mean plasma levels of CoQ10 were 0.58 and 0.49 µg/mL, respectively. There was a significant correlation between the levels of plasma CoQ10 and MSA after adjustment for age, sex, and COQ2 genotype (P = 0.02).

“Our data showed decreased levels of plasma CoQ10 in patients with MSA regardless of the COQ2 genotype, supporting a hypothesis that supplementation with CoQ10 is beneficial for patients with MSA,” the authors write.

Reference

Mitsui J, Matsukawa T, Yasuda T, Ishiura H, Tsuji S. Plasma Coenzyme Q10 Levels in Patients With Multiple System Atrophy. JAMA Neurol. 2016; doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2016.1325.