This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Coenzyme Q10 supplementation alters glucose metabolism, lipids in women with PCOS
Women with polycystic ovary syndrome assigned to 12 weeks of coenzyme Q10 supplementation saw an improvement in glucose profile and total cholesterol vs. women assigned a placebo, according to findings from a randomized controlled trial from Iran.
“[Coenzyme] Q10, due to [its] useful effects on glycemic status, may be useful to control clinical and metabolic symptoms,” Mansooreh Samimi, MD, of the department of gynecology and obstetrics at Kashan University of Medical Sciences in Iran, and colleagues wrote. “[Coenzyme] Q10 intake may improve markers of insulin metabolism through modulation of insulin and adiponectin receptors as well as tyrosine kinase, phosphatidylinositol kinase and glucose transporters.”
Samimi and colleagues analyzed data from 60 women with PCOS (phenotypes A and D) referred to Arak University of Medical Sciences between May and July 2016 (mean age, 25 years). Researchers randomly assigned women to 100 mg coenzyme Q10 supplements (n = 30) or placebo once daily (n = 30) for 12 weeks. All women also took 1,500 mg per day of metformin and kept dietary and physical activity records. The primary outcome was glucose metabolism.
Women assigned coenzyme Q10 supplementation, compared with those assigned placebo, experienced greater decreases from baseline in fasting plasma glucose (–0.24 vs. 0.01 mmol/L; P = .04), serum insulin (–7.8 vs. 6 pmol/L; P < .001) and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR; –0.3 vs. 0.2; P = .001), HOMA beta-cell function (HOMA-B; –5.4 vs. 4.5; P < .001) and increased quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI; 0.006 vs. –0.006; P < .001).
Researchers also observed reductions in both total cholesterol (–0.1 vs. 0.19 mmol/L; P = .02) and LDL cholesterol (–0.15 vs. 0.14 mmol/L; P = .01), but the effect on LDL cholesterol did not persist after adjustments for baseline BMI and age.
“Overall, [coenzyme] Q10 supplementation for 12 weeks among subjects with PCOS had beneficial effects on glucose metabolism, serum total and LDL cholesterol levels, but it did not alter other lipid profiles,” the researchers wrote. “This suggests [coenzyme] Q10 supplementation may confer advantageous therapeutic potential for subjects with PCOS.” – by Regina Schaffer
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.