Coenzyme Q10 could slow Parkinson’s

The nutritional supplement coenzyme Q10 could slow the progress of early-stage Parkinson’s.

Eighty patients with early Parkinson’s disease, recruited from 10 centres across the USA, were randomly assigned to receive wafers containing coenzyme Q10 at a dose of 300, 600 or 1200 mg/day, or placebo. Patients were followed up for 16 months.

The patients taking placebo showed a slight disease progression whereas the groups treated with coenzyme Q10 experienced less progression. This was most striking in the group that received the highest dose – they experienced a 44 per cent reduction in the worsening of their symptoms (Arch Neurol, 2002; 59: 1541-50).