CoQ10: The (Back Door) Key to Hypertension Treatment

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is often considered a modern day disease. Everything about the modern, fast-paced, American lifestyle seems geared towards elevating our blood pressure. Some of the causes of high blood pressure such as smoking, obesity, and excessive alcohol consumption, are more easily dealt with. All it requires is a few small lifestyle changes and a bit of willpower. But other causes, such as a stressful job, city pollution, and family history, appear to make hypertension almost inevitable for some.

In addition, other diseases affecting the kidney or adrenal gland can be a cause of high blood pressure. Certain steroid based medicines also increase blood pressure and can lead to hypertension. Whatever the cause of high blood pressure, the results are the same: your heart is put under more pressure and has more work to do. This increased workload can lead to heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.

Many high blood pressure treatments seek to eliminate the causes of hypertension but as we've seen, many of the causes of high blood pressure are not so easily avoided. If we live in a smoggy city to make a living, then that's where we live, and there is little we can do. An alternative high blood pressure treatment is to increase the heart's capability to deal with the external factors that cause hypertension. In both cases blood pressure decreases, the only difference is that one method doesn't mean a complete lifestyle overhaul.

An overworked heart needs more energy to perform its functions and this is where Co Enzyme Q10 (CoQ10) comes in as a treatment for high blood pressure. If the key to lowering blood pressure is giving up your high-paid job and retreating to a Tibetan monastery, then the back door key to high blood pressure treatment is CoQ10.

Introducing Co Enzyme Q10

CoQ10 is a nutrient produced naturally in the body and found in the energy-producing centers of the cell, called mitochondria. CoQ10 plays an important role in energy metabolism and production of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP), a basic energy molecule that provides energy to each cell of the body.

The highest amount of CoQ10 is found in the heart, kidneys, and liver. The amount of CoQ10 in the body decreases with age, stress, and through poor diet, necessitating supplementation. Using CoQ10 as a high blood pressure treatment also requires extra doses through supplements. So how exactly does CoQ10 improve your body's ability to cope with modern life, and lower high blood pressure?

CoQ10 helps widen arteries

A number of studies suggest that CoQ10 is an effective high blood pressure treatment by widening the brachial arteries. This increases the flow of blood by up to 38% and so lowering blood pressure. CoQ10 supplementation also helps in the treatment of hypertension by inhibiting inflammation of the arteries, which would otherwise constrict blood flow and increase pressure.

CoQ10 is a super antioxidant

A randomized, double-blind, controlled trial suggested a role for CoQ10 in the high blood pressure treatment removing cholesterol, a major cause of high blood pressure, from the blood vessels. CoQ10 is involved in the oxidation of cholesterol and the lowering of levels in the blood.

CoQ10 strengthens the heart

CoQ10 also protects the cells from free radical damage and strengthens the muscles, including the heart muscle, making it better cope with hypertension. If the heart has less strain on it then it is less likely to develop disease and the risk of heart attack is also reduced.

Research clearly shows that CoQ10 lowers blood pressure, and is an effective treatment for people with mild hypertension. Improvements in the condition of the patient were seen in 6-8 weeks. However it is still not completely clear that CoQ10 deficiency can cause high blood pressure in the first place. Therefore, even with a "normal" amount of CoQ10 in the body, extra supplements can help in high blood pressure treatment. It's certainly less of a lifestyle change than giving up your job, and cheaper than air tickets to Tibet.