CoQ10 Benefits: What the Evidence Shows

Quick answer

CoQ10 benefits, in short: CoQ10 is a substance your body makes and uses to produce energy inside cells. Supplement trials have mostly been in people with health conditions rather than in healthy adults. In people with heart failure, one large trial found fewer serious heart events with CoQ10 [2], yet a Cochrane review judged that there is still no convincing evidence either way [1]. It did not meaningfully change blood pressure [3]. Small trials suggest it may ease muscle aches in people taking statins [4][5]. We rate the evidence C: mixed, and mostly in particular groups rather than healthy people.

What is CoQ10?

CoQ10 (also called ubiquinone) is a fat-soluble molecule found in almost every cell. It helps the “power stations” of your cells (mitochondria) make energy, and it acts as an antioxidant. Your body makes it. Levels in the body tend to fall with age, which is one reason it is marketed for healthy aging [6]. Whether topping it up helps healthy people is not shown.

CoQ10 benefits: what might it help with?

Possible benefit	Rating	In plain words
Outcomes in heart failure (as an add-on to usual care)	Mixed	One large trial was positive, but a Cochrane review calls the overall evidence unconvincing [1][2]
Blood pressure	No clear benefit	No clinically meaningful change in the best available review [3]
Muscle aches in people taking statins	Promising	Small trials suggest a modest reduction in muscle pain [4][5]
Healthy aging in healthy adults	Early	One Swedish trial gave CoQ10 with selenium, and its authors call the results “hypothesis-generating” [6]

Ratings describe how good the research is, not a promise that it will work for you.

What the research says

• Heart failure, Cochrane review (11 studies, 1,573 people). The review found moderate-quality evidence that CoQ10 probably lowered the risk of death from any cause and hospital stays for heart failure. But the studies were mostly small and at unclear or high risk of bias, and the death result came from a single trial. The authors’ overall conclusion: “no convincing evidence to support or refute” its use [1]. PubMed · DOI
• Q-SYMBIO trial (420 people with moderate to severe heart failure). Over 2 years, 15% of the CoQ10 group and 26% of the placebo group had a major cardiovascular event. There was no difference in the short-term measures at 16 weeks [2]. This study was in people already on standard heart treatment, not healthy adults. PubMed · DOI
• Blood pressure, Cochrane review. Only three small trials existed. The two that could be pooled (50 people) showed no significant change, and the authors concluded CoQ10 has no clinically significant effect on blood pressure [3]. PubMed · DOI
• Statin muscle symptoms. A 2018 review of 12 trials (575 people) found CoQ10 reduced muscle pain, weakness, cramps and tiredness compared with placebo [4]. A 2025 review of seven trials (389 people) found a smaller but significant reduction in muscle pain, though three of the seven trials showed no significant change [5]. PubMed · DOI · PubMed (2025) · DOI (2025)
• Healthy older adults. In 443 elderly Swedes given selenium plus CoQ10 for four years, fewer died from cardiovascular causes over a 10-year follow-up. This was a combination supplement and a small study, so the authors call the findings hypothesis-generating [6]. PubMed · DOI

Amounts and how people take it

These are amounts used in studies, not recommendations.

• Heart failure trial: 100 mg three times a day (300 mg a day) for 2 years, on top of usual treatment [2].
• Statin muscle trials: doses ranged from 100 to 600 mg a day for 30 to 90 days [5].
• Forms: you will see “ubiquinone” and “ubiquinol” on labels. We did not find a verified head-to-head comparison, so we don’t rank them.
• Timing: CoQ10 is fat-soluble [1], but we did not find a verified study on whether taking it with food matters.

Side effects, interactions and who should check first

In the Cochrane heart failure review, evidence on side effects was low quality, suggesting CoQ10 may cause a few more or about the same number of adverse effects as comparison groups [1]. A general review of its safety and formulation is available if you want more [7].

Who should check with a doctor or pharmacist first

Check with a doctor or pharmacist first if you:

• take warfarin. A case report described a woman whose warfarin worked less well while she took CoQ10, and recovered once she stopped it [8]. CoQ10 is chemically similar to vitamin K, which may explain it. A small controlled trial of 24 people on stable warfarin, taking 100 mg a day for 4 weeks, found no change in INR or warfarin dose [9]. Evidence is limited, so tell your anticoagulant clinic before starting.
• take statins or heart medicines. Don’t stop or change them because of a supplement.
• have a heart condition or any serious illness
• are pregnant or breastfeeding

Where to buy

Look for the active form and amount (ubiquinone or ubiquinol, in mg per serving), a stated third-party testing certificate you can check, and work out the price per daily dose rather than comparing pack prices. Our CoQ10 buying guide explains how we choose products.

FAQ

What is CoQ10?

CoQ10 (also called ubiquinone) is a fat-soluble molecule found in almost every cell. It helps the mitochondria, the “power stations” of your cells, make energy, and it acts as an antioxidant. Your body makes it, and levels tend to fall with age [6], but whether topping it up helps healthy people has not been shown.

Does CoQ10 work?

The evidence is mixed. In heart failure, 15% of the CoQ10 group and 26% of the placebo group had a major cardiovascular event in one large trial [2], but a Cochrane review found no convincing evidence either way [1]. It did not meaningfully change blood pressure [3]. Small trials suggest it may ease muscle aches in people taking statins [4][5].

How much CoQ10 per day?

The heart failure trial used 100 mg three times a day (300 mg a day) for 2 years [2], and statin muscle trials used 100 to 600 mg a day for 30 to 90 days [5]. In the sources we used, we found no separate amounts for women. These are amounts used in studies, not recommendations.

Who should not take CoQ10?

Check with a doctor or pharmacist first if you take warfarin [8][9], statins or other heart medicines, have a heart condition or any serious illness, or are pregnant or breastfeeding. Don’t stop or change a medicine because of a supplement. In the Cochrane review, evidence on side effects was low quality, suggesting a few more or about the same number as comparison groups [1].

Can you take CoQ10 with Eliquis?

We found no study of CoQ10 with Eliquis (apixaban) in our sources, so we can’t say. For another blood thinner, warfarin, one case report described it working less well alongside CoQ10 [8], while a small controlled trial of 24 people found no change in INR or dose [9]. Evidence is limited, so tell your anticoagulant clinic or pharmacist before starting.

Related pages

• NAC
• Omega-3
• Vitamin K2
• Our CoQ10 buying guide
• Longevity supplements for beginners: where this fits in a beginner’s routine
• All supplements A-Z

Talk to your doctor

This page is for general information and is not medical advice. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist before starting any supplement, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, take any medicine, or have a health condition.

References

We cite only studies and official pages we checked against PubMed, the publisher or the agency’s own site. The A to E evidence grades are explained in our editorial policy. See also our medical disclaimer and affiliate disclosure.

1. Al Saadi T, Assaf Y, Farwati M, et al. Coenzyme Q10 for heart failure. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021. PubMed · DOI
2. Mortensen SA, Rosenfeldt F, Kumar A, et al. The effect of coenzyme Q10 on morbidity and mortality in chronic heart failure: results from Q-SYMBIO: a randomized double-blind trial. JACC Heart Fail. 2014. PubMed · DOI
3. Ho MJ, Li EC, Wright JM. Blood pressure lowering efficacy of coenzyme Q10 for primary hypertension. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016. PubMed · DOI
4. Qu H, Guo M, Chai H, et al. Effects of Coenzyme Q10 on Statin-Induced Myopathy: An Updated Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. J Am Heart Assoc. 2018. PubMed · DOI
5. Kovacic S, Habicht SD, Eckert GP. Effects of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on myopathy in statin-treated patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Nutr Sci. 2025. PubMed · DOI
6. Alehagen U, Aaseth J, Johansson P. Reduced Cardiovascular Mortality 10 Years after Supplementation with Selenium and Coenzyme Q10 for Four Years: Follow-Up Results of a Prospective Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial in Elderly Citizens. PLoS One. 2015. PubMed · DOI
7. Arenas-Jal M, Suñé-Negre JM, García-Montoya E. Coenzyme Q10 supplementation: Efficacy, safety, and formulation challenges. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2020. PubMed · DOI
8. Landbo C, Almdal TP. [Interaction between warfarin and coenzyme Q10]. Ugeskr Laeger. 1998. PubMed
9. Engelsen J, Nielsen JD, Hansen KF. [Effect of Coenzyme Q10 and Ginkgo biloba on warfarin dosage in patients on long-term warfarin treatment. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over trial]. Ugeskr Laeger. 2003. PubMed