Pediatric Dilated Cardiomyopathy (PDCM) is a life-threatening heart muscle disorder in children. Hereby the heart muscle is dilated. A clinical study has shown that liquid ubiquinol supplementation improves heart function and symptoms of heart failure in children with PDCM.
This was the conclusion of scientists at Chung Shan Medical University Hospital in Taiwan. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of liquid ubiquinol supplementation on cardiac function in children with PDCM.
Pediatric Dilated Cardiomyopathy (PDCM)
Pediatric Dilated Cardiomyopathy is a deviation of the heart muscle, in which one or both chambers are expanded and have a reduced function. This makes it difficult for blood to be pumped into the body. In the event of serious infestation, the children are short of breath and quickly tired with exertion. With further evolution, heart rhythm disorders often occur.
Ubiquinol supplementation and PDCM
Ubiquinol is the reduced and active form of coenzyme Q10 that, thanks to advanced technology, can now also be used in supplements. The fat-soluble substance is indispensable for the production of energy. For this study, ten children diagnosed with PDCM were given liquid ubiquinol (10 mg per kilogram of body weight per day) for 24 weeks. The heart function was measured with echocardiography. The functional classification of the New York Heart Association (NYHA) was used to assess the symptoms of heart failure. The coenzyme Q10 plasma levels were also measured.
Results research
The results of the study showed that the ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS) were significantly higher than the baseline values until week 16 of supplementation. The ejection fraction is a percentage that expresses how much blood is squeezed out of the left or right chamber when the heart muscle is contracted. Fractional shortening is the percentage of each diastolic dimension, the phase in which the heart relaxes and recovers with blood that is lost when the ventricles contract. Patients who had higher plasma coenzyme Q10 concentration had significantly better EF and FS values. In addition, 30% of the subjects showed improvement in the NYHA classification after 24 weeks of supplementation.
In summary, liquid supplementation with ubiquinol is accompanied by an increase in coenzyme Q10, which improves both heart function (in particular EF and FS) and the symptoms of heart failure in children with PDCM.