Effect of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on statin-related myopathic pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) has shown promising results as an adjuvant therapy to statins. However, the efficacy of this agent is still unclear. Hypothesis: The use of CoQ10 mitigates statin-related myopathic pain. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing CoQ10 supplementation with placebo in patients taking statins. A random-effects model was employed to compute the mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Statistical analysis was performed using R software 4.3.1. RESULTS: A total of 5 studies and 227 patients were included, of whom 48% were randomized to CoQ10 supplementation. Compared with placebo, CoQ10 had no effects on pain severity score (MD -0.94; 95% CI -3.80 to 1.91; p=0.5), and pain intensity score (MD -1.51; 95% CI -4.09 to 1.06; p = 0.2). Moreover, no association was found with low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (MD -0.07; 95% CI -0.47 to 0.34; p = 0.7). CONCLUSIONS: In this meta-analysis of 5 RCTs, supplementation with CoQ10 did not yield statistically significant results. These findings suggest that CoQ10 has no impact on statin-related myopathic pain.