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CLEVELAND, OHIO. A team of researchers from the Cleveland Clinic and Thomas Jefferson University in
Philadelphia reports that coenzyme Q10 is effective in preventing migraines. There is increasing evidence
that migraine may be caused by some sort of mitochondrial impairment. Coenzyme Q10 has been used
successfully in the treatment of mitrochondrial disorders so the researchers reasoned that it might be
beneficial in the treatment of migraines. Their clinical trial involved 31 patients who, after a one-month
baseline evaluation, were given 150 mg of coenzyme Q10 at breakfast for a three-month period. At the end
of the period 61.3 per cent of the patients had a greater than 50 per cent reduction in the number of days
they spent with migraine. The frequency of attacks declined from an average of 7.34/month before
treatment to 2.95 at the end of the three-month treatment period. The average number of days spent with
migraine decreased from 4.85 to 2.81 per month. No adverse treatment effects were observed in any of the
patients.
The researchers conclude that coenzyme Q10 effectively prevents episodic migraine headaches (with or
without aura). They call for randomized, placebo-controlled trials to confirm their findings and suggest that
dosages above 150 mg/day may prove to be even more effective. They also point out that coenzyme Q10
has been found effective in the treatment of congestive heart failure and chronic muscular dystrophy and
that no side effects have been observed at daily dosages as high as 3000 mg/day. The effect of oral
supplementation takes about a month to be felt and may take as long as three months to reach its full
potential. A daily intake of 100-150 mg will increase normal blood levels by a factor of two.
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