Alehagen U, Aaseth J, Alexander J, Johansson P.
The following quote is from the paper.
“Conclusion: This is a 12-year follow-up of a group of healthy elderly participants that were supplemented with selenium and coenzyme Q10 for four years. Even after twelve years we observed a significantly reduced risk for CV mortality in this group, as well as in subgroups of patients with diabetes, hypertension, ischemic heart disease or impaired functional capacity. The results thus validate the results obtained in the 10-year evaluation. The protective action was not confined to the intervention period, but persisted during the follow-up period. The mechanisms behind this effect remain to be fully elucidated, although various effects on cardiac function, oxidative stress, fibrosis and inflammation have previously been identified. Since this was a small study, the observations should be regarded as hypothesis-generating.”
Coenzyme Q10 is a co-factor for succinate dehydrogenase. Succinate dehydrogenase metabolizes succinate in the TCA cycle. Succinate inhibits 2-oxoglutarate-dependent histone and DNA demethylase enzymes. By way of being a co-factor for succinate dehydrogenase coenzyme Q10 could reduce inappropriate DNA and histone methlylation decreasing mortality. Ubiquinol should not be helpful in terms of decreasing mortality.
