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.
Methods and 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.