title: Coenzyme q10 administration in community-acquired pneumonia in the elderly.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is generally considered a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the elderly.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to assess the efficacy of adjunctive coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) in the treatment of elderly CAP.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospitalized elderly patients with CAP (diagnosed by using defined clinical and radiological criteria) were randomized to receive oral CoQ10 (200 mg/d) or placebo for 14 days, along with antibiotics. Primary and secondary outcomes on days 3, 7, and 14 were measured. Disease severity was scored using CURB-65 index. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS and P value < 0.05 was considered significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We enrolled 150 patients for this research. Then, 141 patients, including 70 patients in the trial group and 71 patients in the control group were analyzed. Mean age of the trial and control groups were 67.6 ± 7.2 years and 68.7 ± 7.9 years, respectively. Clinical cure at days 3 and 7 were 24 (34.3%) and 62 (88.6%) in the trial group (P value = 0.6745) and 22 (31%) and 52 (73.2%) in the placebo group (P value = 0.0209). Patients on CoQ10 had faster defervescence (P value = 0.0206) and shorter hospital stay (P value = 0.0144) compared with the placebo group. The subgroup analysis of the patients with severe pneumonia showed differences in clinical cure at day 14. Treatment failure was less in CoQ10 group than in the placebo group (10% versus 22.5% and P value = 0.0440). Adverse events in two groups were few and similar.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CoQ10 administration has no serious side effects and can improve outcome in hospitalized elderly CAP; therefore, we recommend it as an adjunctive treatment in elderly patients.
authors.affiliation: Tuberculosis and Pediatric Infectious Research Center, Department of Infectious Disease, School of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Aliasghar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Farazi
authors.affiliation: Tuberculosis and Pediatric Infectious Research Center, Department of Infectious Disease, School of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Masoomeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sofian
authors.affiliation: Department of Disease Control and Prevention, Health Center of Markazi Province, Arak, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mansoureh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jabbariasl
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Banafshe
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nayebzadeh
keywords: Coenzyme Q10; Elderly; Pneumonia