Patient/caregiver was educated on signs and symptoms of coenzyme Q deficiency as follows:
- Coenzyme Q10 is a chief component in the chain of cellular metabolic reactions that help oxygen utilization and energy production within cells. Deficient coenzyme Q can compromise oxygen utilization and slow down overall cellular metabolism in various body tissues. Compromised cellular metabolism in body tissues, especially tissues with higher energy requirements, such as, heart, kidney, liver, muscle, and brain, can result in poor energy production in all these tissues and thus, significantly influence their overall function.
- Inflammatory mediators are produced in the body as a natural defense, in response to infection and injury of various tissues. These inflammatory mediators accumulated in the body tissues over a period of time result in tissue degradation and damage. Antioxidants are molecules that help with scavenging and clearing all these inflammatory mediators from the body, thus helping to prevent the risk of tissue damage from these mediators and protecting body tissues from injury. Coenzyme Q is an important antioxidant in the body performing the function of preventing damage and promoting healing & repair of body tissues. Deficiency of coenzyme Q in individuals can result in reduced clearing of inflammatory mediators from the body and consequent increased damage to body tissues, resulting in injuries such as, chronic nonhealing wounds and gastric ulcers.
