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e-Journal of Age Management Medicine | May 2011
Derrick M. DeSilva, Jr., M.D.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a cellular energy nutrient—a nutrient that energizes every single cell within the body. Without CoQ10 the cells would not function. Another name for CoQ10 is ubiquinone—it is ubiquitous to every cell. An analogy I like to use is to look at the body as a car. It has millions and millions of cells, and each cell has a motor. The fuel that runs the “motor” in each cell is CoQ10.



The Mayo Clinic agrees CoQ10 is necessary for the basic functioning of cells; early studies suggest benefits from CoQ10 in, among other things, lowering blood pressure; helping age-related macular degeneration; slowing down dementia in people with Alzheimer's disease; reducing angina and improving exercise tolerance in people with clogged heart arteries; improving symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome; aiding in treatment of Parkinson's disease; decreasing the rate of stage I and II melanoma recurrence in patients with surgically removed lesions; and improving exercise capacity, heart function, and overall quality of life in patients with muscular dystrophy.



CoQ10 levels are reported to decrease with age. Some prescription drugs may also lower CoQ10 levels. This is a major issue, as evidence suggests all of the anti-statin drugs deplete the body of CoQ10, so it is very important for patients to take CoQ10 when they are on anti-statins. Other medications that can deplete the body of CoQ10 include anti-diabetes drugs, antidepressant medications such as Zoloft and Prozac, and some or all of the heart and blood pressure medications. 

CoQ10 can be gotten as a cream and used topically, or used internally. If used topically, it’s as an anti-aging anti-wrinkle cream. If used internally, it is a very potent antioxidant—one of the most powerful antioxidants out there. Patients can use both types simultaneously; I, for example, put CoQ10 cream on my skin after I shave.



There are definite variations of product quality. One of the best brands is called Q-Gel, because of the way it’s made, using a patented process that reduces the size of its particles to increase solubility and bioavailability.

Derrick M. DeSilva, Jr., M.D. is a member of the Medical Teaching Faculty at John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Edison, NJ, and an attending physician and practicing internist at the Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, NJ, where he is co-chair of the Department of Complementary Medicine. He is a published author and has lectured on various topics in medicine, nationally and internationally.