title: Coenzyme Q10 combined with mild hypothermia after cardiac arrest: a preliminary study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Therapeutic hypothermia can improve survival after cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) has shown a protective effect in neurodegenerative disorders. We investigated whether combining mild hypothermia with CoQ10 after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest provides additional benefit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-nine patients were randomly assigned to either hypothermia plus CoQ10 or hypothermia plus placebo after CPR. Hypothermia with a core temperature of 35 degrees C was instituted for 24 hours. Liquid CoQ10 250 mg followed by 150 mg TID for 5 days or placebo was administered through nasogastric tube. Age, sex, premorbidity, cause of arrest, conditions of CPR, and degree of hypoxia were similar in both groups; no side effects of CoQ10 were identified. Three-month survival in the CoQ10 group was 68% (17 of 25) and 29% (7 of 24) in the placebo group (P=0.0413). Nine CoQ10 patients versus 5 placebo patients survived with a Glasgow Outcome Scale of 4 or 5. Mean serum S100 protein 24 hours after CPR was significantly lower in the CoQ10 group (0.47 versus 3.5 ng/mL).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combining CoQ10 with mild hypothermia immediately after CPR appears to improve survival and may improve neurological outcome in survivors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospitals of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom. msd13@le.ac.uk
authors.forename: Maxwell Simon
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Damian
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ellenberg
authors.forename: Ramona
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gildemeister
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lauermann
authors.forename: Gregor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Simonis
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sauter
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Georgi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers; D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory; D005260:Female; D023261:Glasgow Outcome Scale; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced; D015993:Life Tables; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000097:blood; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014451:Ubiquinone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D009418:S100 Proteins; D014451:Ubiquinone