« Amanda Knox wins court victory | Main | Defense says in closings: no proof how Caylee died »
June 30, 2011
PLEASE HELP ME WITH MY HEART FAILURE MEDICATION
I could have much improvement in my Heart Failure if I could afford the $150/month for Ubiquinol. At present I live on $674. from Social Security Disability. I just cannot survive long enough - awaiting a Heart Transplant - without help.
At present - I have a 10-15% Ejection Fraction.
I really could improve on this with this Medication.
Must Read:
Ubiquinol Form of CoQ10 May Provide an Edge in Heart Failure Patients
Spring 2011
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) has long been known as a beneficial nutrient for the heart, especially in cases where the heart muscle itself has failed. CoQ10 is an important mediator of energy transfer in cellular mitochondria and therefore plays an integral role in the bioenergetics of active tissues such as the myocardium. CoQ10 is also a potent intracellular antioxidant that protects the heart and other tissues from oxidative free radical damage. Since its introduction as a nutritional supplement in the 1970s, CoQ10 has been available primarily in its oxidized form, ubiquinone. While many clinical trials have shown that supplemental ubiquinone improves myocardial functional capacity and clinical outcomes in congestive heart failure (CHF) patients, some studies have failed to show benefit. These inconsistent results are thought to stem from the inability of ubiquinone to adequately elevate total plasma CoQ10 levels in all cases. The bioavailability of ubiquinone is inherently limited due to its hydrophobicity and high molecular weight, and its absorption may be further impaired in certain disease states such as heart failure. As total plasma CoQ10 levels have been shown to positively correlate with improved prognoses for heart failure patients, enhancing CoQ10 bioavailability has been a longstanding goal.
Ubiquinol is a reduced form of CoQ10 that has superior bioavailability to ubiquinone. Studies indicate ubiquinol can increase total plasma CoQ10 levels to several times those achieved by a comparable dose of ubiquinone. This capacity to elevate total plasma CoQ10 can translate into dramatic benefits for persons with CHF.
A recent clinical trial examined the effects of ubiquinol in a group of seven late-stage (NYHA Class IV) heart failure patients who were in declining health despite receiving standard medical therapy and daily ubiquinone supplementation. In each case, long-term intake of 150-600 mg/day of ubiquinol had failed to elevate plasma concentrations of total CoQ10 to a therapeutically beneficial level of >2.5 ug/ml. The patients were switches to ubiquinol at an average daily dose of 580 mg and followed for a minimum of 3 to a maximum of 20 months. By the end of the study, mean total plasma CoQ10 levels of the participants had increased from 1.6 to 6.5 ug/ml. More importantly, ejection fractions improved from an average of 22% to 39% and the severity of heart failure decreased by one or more New York Heart Association *NYHA) in all cases.
This study provides compelling evidence that persons with advanced heart disease may benefit more from ubiquinol than from traditional forms of CoQ10. Ubiquinol is not only better absorbed, but has the advantage of being in a chemically reduced state. Although ubiquinone is typically reduced to ubiquinol during absorption from the intestinal tract, studies suggest this conversion process can be impaired by chronic illness. Supplementing with ubiquinol bypasses the need to reduce oxidized ubiquinone, thus affording greater antioxidant protection to critically ill persons.
Interestingly, ubiquinol’s antioxidative effects may account, at least in part, for its improved bioavailability in CHF patients. Heart failure frequently results in debilitating edema due to factors such as reduced cardiac output and salt and fluid retention by the underperfused kidneys. Intractable edema of the intestinal tract is believed to play a significant role in reducing the absorption of nutrients such as CoQ10 in people with CHF. Ubiquinol may help resolve edema and facilitate its own absorption by protecting the kidneys from oxidative stress and thus improving renal function. In support of this concept, a recent study found ubiquinol supplementation reduces albuminuria, lowers systolic blood pressure, and prevents excessive renal free-radical generation in animals with kidney disease.
********************
More of similar information. Peter Langsjoen MD is a cardiologist with much experience working with heart failure patients and CoQ10.
CoQ10 improves hypertension and can prevent congestive heart failure
Tuesday, April 12, 2011 by: John Phillip
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/032041_CoQ10_hypertension.html#ixzz1JIITmEtk
(NaturalNews) Reporting in the journal Biofactors, researchers found that patients with congestive heart failure that were supplemented with the active form of coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinol) improved ejection fraction by 39%. Ejection fraction is a critical marker of heart function used to determine the volume of blood pumped by the heart through the vascular system. CoQ10 is essential to convert nutrients to energy and power the cellular engine, and natural production in the body declines with age. Extensive research explains how you can benefit from daily supplementation with this powerful enzyme to restore healthy energy balance and prevent age-related heart disease.
The study conducted at the East Texas Medical Center and Trinity Mother Francis Hospital focused on patients with advanced congestive heart failure that were classified as Stage IV, the most severe form of the disease. Patients were supplemented with 580 mg of the ubiquinol form of coenzyme Q10 daily to increase plasma blood levels by a factor of four.
The researchers found "the improvement in plasma CoQ10 levels is correlated with both clinical improvement and improvement in measurement of left ventricular function." Prior to CoQ10 supplementation, most of the participants were considered critically ill and confined to bed or a wheel chair. After a regimen of ubiquinol, patients typically improved two classification levels (Stage IV to II or III to I) and were able to carry on a productive lifestyle.
Hypertension is a serious problem that affects as many as one in three adults in the US today. High blood pressure is closely associated with coronary artery closure due to plaque formation and arterial stiffening as the normally elastic vessels require more pressure to fully circulate blood to the body. The result of a study published in the journal Nutrition and Metabolism found that coenzyme Q10 supplemented along with other potent antioxidant nutrients (vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium) significantly increased small and large arterial elasticity that led to lower blood pressure and risk of a heart attack.
Subjects in this study received 60 mg of CoQ10 for a period of six months along with moderate amounts of the other nutrients. In addition to improved arterial elasticity, researchers found a significant decline in HbA1C blood sugar levels and an increase in protective HDL cholesterol levels. The authors of the research concluded that the CoQ10 nutrient antioxidant cocktail "has beneficial effect on glucose and lipid metabolism, blood pressure and arterial compliance in patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors."
It comes as no surprise to most alternative health-minded individuals that nutrients obtained from natural sources exert a powerful influence on human health. Adults will want to supplement with 50 to 100 mg per day (higher amounts may be necessary for existing cardiovascular disease) of the ubiquinol form of coenzyme Q10 to maintain optimal health, energy and protection from age-related diseases of the heart.
Article References:
http://www.wellnessresources.com/health/articles/coenzyme_q10_for_heart_kidneys_blood_pressure
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19096107
http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/7/1/55
About the author
John Phillip is a Health Researcher and Author who writes regularly on the cutting edge use of diet, lifestyle modifications and targeted supplementation to enhance and improve the quality and length of life. John is the author of 'Your Healthy Weight Loss Plan', a comprehensive EBook explaining how to use Diet, Exercise, Mind and Targeted Supplementation to achieve your weight loss goal. Visit My Optimal Health Resource to continue reading the latest health news updates, and to download your Free 48 page copy of 'Your Healthy Weight Loss Plan'.
THANK YOU
Posted by Nealus at June 30, 2011 05:37 PM
Comments
Post a comment
Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)
(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)
