Co10 supports glucose metabolism, meta-analysis shows

Summary

This meta-analysis was designed to determine if co-enzyme Q10 (CoQ10) has an effect on blood glucose or glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels in people with or without high blood glucose.

Study inclusion criteria included randomized clinical trials published in the peer-reviewed literature from September 1, 1956, to March 1, 2016. A random effect model was used to calculate pooled overall effects. Because of the presence of heterogeneity, the subgroup analysis and the meta-regression were also performed.

Eighteen studies (published from 1997 to 2015) met the inclusion criteria with 11 studies involving subjects with type 2 diabetes and the remaining studies involving subjects with type 1 diabetes, vascular dysfunction, coronary artery disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver, chronic kidney disease, overweight or obesity and/or hypertension. Baseline blood glucose levels were higher than 108 mg/dL in all, but one, study. CoQ10 treatment ranged from 120 to 200 mg/day. Study duration ranged from 4 to 24 weeks.

Results indicate CoQ10 had a significant effect on reducing blood glucose levels but no effect on reducing HBA1c values. Lower doses of CoQ10 (less than 200 mg/day) and shorter study duration (not longer than 12 weeks) were especially beneficial for lowering blood glucose levels.

These findings suggest that CoQ10 supplementation may offer clinical value for blood glucose management.