(Integrative Medicine) - A new study suggests that the popular dietary supplement coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) may show promise in slowing the progression of Huntington's disease (HD), but researchers are still not convinced that the supplement should be used as a treatment for the condition. HD is a progressive brain disorder characterized by involuntary muscle movements and cognitive decline. Patients in the early stages of HD were randomly assigned to receive CoQ10, remacemide (an experimental drug), both treatments, or placebo for 30 months. None of the treatments significantly slowed functional decline in the HD patients during the study period. However, patients in the CoQ10 group demonstrated a smaller functional decline compared to those in the other groups. CoQ10 appeared to slow the progression of the disease by 13%, but this effect was not considered statistically significant. Although the researchers note that "this is the first controlled trial in HD to find trends toward a beneficial change in functional decline," they conclude that "the current findings are not sufficient to warrant a recommendation for coenzyme Q10 treatment of early HD."

References

The Huntington Study Group. A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of coenzyme Q10 and remacemide in Huntington's disease. Neurology. 2001;57:397-404.