What is Renal Failure?
If you or someone you love suffers from progressive, chronic renal failure (CRF) or end-stage kidney failure, you understand how vital these organs are to human life. (Its most common cause attributed to diabetes.) When an individual reaches end-stage kidney disease, the kidneys are nearly or totally incapable of functioning.
Most persons who encounter renal failure are very familiar with Creatinine (excreted in urine as metabolic wastes) and BUN (blood urea nitrogen - protein metabolism breakdown product in the blood) tests, and comprehend devastating effects that these metabolic results can have on the kidneys, liver, heart and other organs as well. In end-stage renal failure, Creatinine and BUN levels become persistenly high.
When this occurs, the kidneys can no longer concentrate urine, excrete wastes or regulate electrolytes (electrically charged minerals in the blood and other bodily fluids); which in turn causes the body to accumulate fluids and waste products. The severe nature of this disease can cause multiple and severe complications, as well as death; unless strictly treated with long-term dialysis (a procedure that removes metabolic waste products from the body) and until eventual kidney transplantation can be performed.
Promising Research
According to an informative report in the Townsend Letter, a 12-week, double-blind study on CoQ10 was performed on ninety-seven patients with end-stage renal failure. Participants averaged 48 years of age and were indiscrimately given either placebo or 60mg of CoQ10 orally, three (3) times daily. Initially, a little less than half of the participants (45) were using hemodialysis from the onset of the study. These patients were motivated to either reduce or stop dialysis to determine any reduction in creatinine levels and increased urine output.
Study results found that creatinine concentration and BUN levels decreased; additionally, urine production improved from 1,300 to 1,920 ml. Other non-dialysis participants who were treated with CoQ10 also showed significant improvement; while hemodialysis placebo users displayed worsened renal function. Overall, CoQ10 proved to be positively responsive to eighty-one percent of study participants.
Per the Study's author, (Dr. Singh), CoQ10 is most effective in patients who produced no less than 1,000/ml of urine (with or without the aid of furosemide) daily. Unfortunately, CoQ10 is not as efficient when urine output has already decreased to less than 500/ml per day. (This is more than likely due to irreversible kidney damage.)
While larger, controlled research trials are still necessary, the study recommends renal failure patients take 180 mg of CoQ10 daily; however, it is always in the patient's best interest to check with his/her healthcare provider for dosages and for any possible drug interactions. In closing, CoQ10 seemingly provides much-needed hope to naturally improve overall kidney function.
Disclaimer:
Information provided by HolisticJunction.com is intended for educational purposes only and should never substitute advice provided by a licensed health professional.
References:
- Townsend Letter: Report - Coenzyme Q10 for chronic renal failure
- Study Resource: Singh RB, et.al. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of coenzyme CoQ10 in patients with end-stage renal failure. Journal of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine 2003; 13:13-22
- Bastyr Center for Natural Health Report - Coenzyme Q10 Good for People with Kidney Failure, by Alan R. Gaby, MD - Healthnotes, Inc.
Renal Failure: CoQ10 May Improve Kidney Function Copyright 2005 - All Rights Reserved Report by C. Bailey-Lloyd
