Longevity. We all want to live as long as possible and to be as healthy as possible in our senior years.

Senior citizens on the beach

Clinical trial results indicate that daily supplementation with Coenzyme Q10 and selenium can have anti-aging and longevity effects in senior citizens with low selenium status.

Now, a study of five age-related blood biomarkers has shown that daily supplementation of senior citizens with Coenzyme Q10 and selenium influences the analyzed biomarkers in positive ways indicating an anti-aging effect. These age-related biomarkers relate to the pathological processes of systemic inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and fibrosis [Alehagen 2023].

Combined CoQ10 and Selenium Supplementation of Senior Citizens

The KiSel-10 Study was a prospective randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial that included 441 study participants with low serum selenium levels, average age 77 years, 49% women. The combined CoQ10 and selenium treatment group (n=220) received 200 milligrams/day of Coenzyme Q10 in the ubiquinone form and 200 micrograms/day of a selenium yeast preparation for four years. The control study group received matching placebos. Researchers collected blood samples at the time of inclusion in the study and after 48 months for measurements of the five age-related blood biomarkers [Alehagen 2023]:

  • Adiponectin – anti-inflammatory hormone
  • ICAM-1 – regulator of immune response and inflammation
  • Leptin – pro-inflammatory cytokine
  • Stem cell factor – cytokine involved in immune response
  • Osteoprotegerin – protein involved in inflammation and endothelial function

In the blood samples taken at the beginning of the KiSel-10 clinical trial, the researchers did not see any significant differences between the two study groups. In the blood samples taken at 48 months, however, they did observe that the biomarkers were significantly different between the active treatment group and the placebo group. Moreover, a structural equation modeling analysis showed an anti-aging impact of the difference [Alehagen 2023].

Coenzyme Q10 and Selenium and Cardiovascular Health

The outcomes of this KiSel-10 Study analysis are important for two reasons [Alehagen 2023]:

  1. No single biomarker can reflect the entire aging process. In this sub-analysis, Professor Alehagen and the team of researchers selected and studied five blood biomarkers relevant to different aspects of aging.
  2. Aging is associated with cardiovascular disease. The results of the KiSel-10 Study provide evidence for the following conclusions:

Conclusion: Longevity Properties of Coenzyme Q10 and Selenium

The KiSel-10 research group examined the effect of combined CoQ10 and selenium supplementation on five blood bio-markers related to aging, specifically with respect to pathological processes such as endothelial dysfunction, fibrosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress [Alehagen 2023].

The study results suggest that supplementation with Coenzyme Q10 and selenium quite possibly can delay the aging process, particularly in individuals with low selenium status [Alehagen 2023].

CoQ10 supplements are safe and affordable. However, remember that different formulations of CoQ10 supplements have different levels of absorption and bioavailability. To get beneficial heart health effects, consumers need to find a CoQ10 supplement with documented absorption and bioavailability [Lopez-Lluch 2019].

Sources

Alehagen U, Alexander J, Aaseth JO, Larsson A, Svensson E, Opstad TB. Effects of an intervention with selenium and Coenzyme Q10 on five selected age-related biomarkers in elderly Swedes low in selenium: results that point to an anti-ageing effect—a sub-analysis of a previous prospective double-blind placebo-controlled randomised clinical trial. Cells. 2023;12:1773.

Alehagen U, Johansson P, Svensson E, Aaseth J, Alexander J. Improved cardiovascular health by supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10: applying structural equation modelling (SEM) to clinical outcomes and biomarkers to explore underlying mechanisms in a prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled intervention project in Sweden. Eur J Nutr. 2022 Sep;61(6):3135-3148.

Alehagen U, Aaseth J, Alexander J, Johansson P. Still reduced cardiovascular mortality 12 years after supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10 for four years: A validation of previous 10-year follow-up results of a prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial in elderly. PLoS One. 2018 Apr 11;13(4):e0193120.

Alehagen U, Johansson P, Björnstedt M, Rosén A, Dahlström U. Cardiovascular mortality and N-terminal-proBNP reduced after combined selenium and coenzyme Q10 supplementation: a 5-year prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial among elderly Swedish citizens. Int J Cardiol. 2013 Sep 1;167(5):1860-6.

López-Lluch G, Del Pozo-Cruz J, Sánchez-Cuesta A, Cortés-Rodríguez AB, Navas P. Bioavailability of coenzyme Q10 supplements depends on carrier lipids and solubilization. Nutrition. 2019 Jan;57:133-140.

The information presented in this review article is not intended as medical advice and should not be used as such.