Coenzyme Q10 and NADH supplementation for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

A quick post today to direct your attention to the paper by Jesus Castro-Marrero and colleagues [1] reporting results which seemed to suggest that under double-blind, placebo-controlled conditions "oral CoQ10 [Coenzyme Q10] (200 mg/day) plus NADH [nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) + hydrogen (H)] (20 mg/day) supplementation" might have some positive effects for cases of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). The NIH entry for the trial can be found here.

I volunteer as tribute! 

Reporting on both fatigue-related and "biochemical parameters in 73 Spanish CFS patients", researchers found that the NADH / CoQ10 preparation (ReConnect) was superior to a phosphoserine/serine plus vitamin C placebo based on fatigue scores derived from the Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS) [2]. Further, that "a recovery of the biochemical parameters was also reported. NAD+/NADH (p< 0.001), CoQ10 (p< 0.05), ATP (p< 0.05) and citrate synthase (p< 0.05) were significantly higher and lipoperoxides (p< 0.05) were significantly lower in blood mononuclear cells (BMCs) of the treated group."

Obviously there is quite a bit more to do in this area but these results are perhaps not so surprising given other more open-trial data as per the paper from Garth Nicholson and colleagues [3]. I'm also minded to refer you back to some other research discussed in this area with regards to mitochondria and CFS (see here) and mention of the paper by Maes and colleagues [4] which concluded: "lowered levels of CoQ10 play a role in the pathophysiology of ME/CFS and that symptoms, such as fatigue, and autonomic and neurocognitive symptoms may be caused by CoQ10 depletion."

"Larger sample trials are warranted to confirm these findings." I couldn't have said it better myself.

Music: The Skatalites and Guns of Navarone based around a story by one of my favourite novelists.

----------

[1] Castro-Marrero J. et al. Does oral Coenzyme Q10 plus NADH supplementation improve fatigue and biochemical parameters in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? Antioxid Redox Signal. 2014 Nov 11.

[2] Frith J. & Newton J. Fatigue Impact Scale. Occup Med (Lond). 2010 Mar;60(2):159.

[3] Nicholson G. et al. Lipid Replacement Therapy with a Glycophospholipid Formulation with NADH and CoQ10 Significantly Reduces Fatigue in Intractable Chronic Fatiguing Illnesses and Chronic Lyme Disease Patients. International Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2012; 3: 163-170.

[4] Maes M. et al. Coenzyme Q10 deficiency in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is related to fatigue, autonomic and neurocognitive symptoms and is another risk factor explaining the early mortality in ME/CFS due to cardiovascular disorder. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2009;30(4):470-6.

----------

Castro-Marrero J, Cordero MD, Segundo MJ, Saez-Francas N, Calvo N, Román-Malo L, Aliste L, Fernandez de Sevilla T, & Alegre-Martin J (2014). Does oral Coenzyme Q10 plus NADH supplementation improve fatigue and biochemical parameters in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? Antioxidants & redox signaling PMID: 25386668