UCSD Q10 and Aging Study

Goal: The investigators propose to test the feasibility of giving the supplement coenzyme Q10 (Q10) improves symptoms and subjective health in an aging population. Rationale: Direct empirical evidence has supported benefit of Q10 to many symptoms such as fatigue, muscle pain, and cognition. In addition, Q10 has also been reported to benefit other symptoms including headaches, sleep disturbances, and breathing problems. This provides a strong rationale for testing whether Q10 will have similar benefit to these symptoms in an aging population. Method: 44 aging subjects will participate. The design is a 9 month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study. Each subject will be "crossed over" between high dose Q10 (300mg), low dose Q10 (100mg), and placebo, receiving each agent for 3 month periods. Neither subjects nor investigators will know which substance each subject is receiving in which phase. Subjects will be randomly assigned to one of six arms. Assessments: Assessments will include feasibility of study, subjective quality of life, energy, and metabolic and lipid panels. Analyses will show whether Q10 led to improvements when compared to placebo; whether higher Q10 doses improved outcomes more than lower doses; and whether people with certain symptoms or characteristics get more benefit than people with other symptoms or characteristics.