Two extensive over the counter supplements, when used in combination could slash the risk of heart disease by half, found a new study. Researchers from Linkoping University and the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden found that a combination of selenium and coenzyme Q10 considerably diminished the risk of cardiovascular deaths among elderly patients.
At present, more than six million people are prescribed potent drugs such as statins to diminish LDL cholesterol, as higher levels of LDL cholesterol can clog arteries. The Swedish team carrid out a study involving four hundred and fifty healthy males and females aged between seventy and ninety.
All study partcipnats were arbitrarily assigned either two hundred mg of coenzyme Q10 capsules and two hundred µg of organic selenium yeast tablets, or a placebo, for the period of four years. The study showed that participants who received extensively available supplements, about six percent had died of heart disease after five years, compared to thirteen percent of those received a placebo.
Participants who received the supplements were also found to have much diminished levels of N-terminal proBNP, a chemical marker which shows whether the heart is working under increased tension. Besides, statistics from echocardiography had shown significantly better cardiac function scores in active supplementation than to the placebo group.
Coenzyme Q10 plays a crucial role in the production of energy in mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cells that make up human body. Coenzyme Q10 has been studied for its role in cognitive health, heart health and anti-aging, including wrinkle creams. On the other hand essential micronutrient, selenium has been shown to enhance flu resistance, combat cancer and improve fertility and longevity.
Lead researcher Dr Urban Alehagen, stated this study examines for the first time the interrelationship between selenium and coenzyme Q10 and the compounds which have been used in a therapeutic purpose to affect the cardiac wall cells. The study findings can provide a basis for extended analyses of the effects of selenium/coenzyme Q10 on various conditions.
Further supplementation studies in larger populations involving diverse age groups should be instigated, added Dr Alehagen. The study was published in the International Journal of Cardiology.