Dear Delana:
Thanks for the info on Q-10. I continually remind
myself that all of this is >>at best<< a review of the
most fundamental nature for me. I thank you for taking
the time to expand/clarify my comments, which I
intended to be a starting point for discussing a topic
that has been raised frequently in the last month or
two. People on the PD Listserver really enjoy posts
from interested professionals with something to
contribute [such as yourself] - thanks from them also
I'm sure!
As luck would have it, just after I sent the post [like
would you believe last night on my way home from
work?], I picked up a $2.50 booklet [at my local
"Smoothie King" store of all places] entitled
"COENZYME Q-10: Is It Our New Fountain Of Youth?",
written by Dr. William H. Lee, R. Ph., Ph. D. (26pp,
Keats Publishing, Inc., 27 Pine Street, New Canaan,
CT 06840, ISBN: 0-87983-427-7)
Dr. Lee says essentially the same thing that you bring
up in your post of 7 November. Regarding taking
supplemental Q-10 [Ubiquinone as he names it], he
states:
"If the enzyme (succinate dehydrogenase-CoQ10
reductase [Kreb's cycle as you know better than I]) is
fully saturated with coenzyme Q-10, then
supplementation will not increase the activity. If, on the
other hand, tissue levels are shown to be low, the use
of supplemental coenzyme Q-10 will increase the
activity appreciably."
He also says that results will be slow in arriving - 8
weeks or so - and that "coenzyme Q-10 is now
commercially available from a number of companies"
(I'm working on finding out who, as he didn't provide
sources).
All of this might at least partially explain why some on
the PD Listserver have reported benefits from
supplemental Q-10, while others don't see any change
- some may "need it" due to a deficiency resulting from
one thing or another, while others don't - or haven't
been taking it long enough for it to be effective
[persistence pays?]!
Dr. Lee mentions that Q-10 deficiencies could be the
result of:
1. Poor diet (nutritional deficiencies as he calls it),
2. Genetic or acquired Q-10 synthesis problems,
3. Certain medical conditions requiring increased
levels of Q-10 that the body can't meet.
Interestingly enough, Dr. Lee lists several diseases
that are associated with a Q-10 deficiency:
Cardiovascular disease
Angina Pectoris
Congestive heart failure
Cardiomyopathy
Hyperthyroid heart failure
Mitral valve prolapse
Hypertension
Prominently absent from the above list is PD. Perhaps
the improvement noticed by some with PD (many?) to
taking supplemental Q-10 would be an interesting
arena for some clinical research (hint - hint)??
For the "parkies" out there who might read this, Q-10
has some pretty impressive anti-oxidant power,
something that has been shown to be of significance
to PD patients (e.g. supplementation with Vitamins C,
E, B-complex, etc.) for the reduction of the pathologic
effects of free-radicals [are there "cheap" "mid-priced"
and "expensive" radicals too?].
Again, Delana, thanks for the "data" that you provided.
We all grow from the interest and inputs of others.
Jim
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