Tier 3 — preclinical

Protective effects of coenzyme Q10 on the adverse reactions of anthracycline antibiotics: using double blind method--with special reference to hair loss

T Akihama, Y Nakamoto, T Shindo, Y Nakayama, A Miura
Gan To Kagaku Ryoho 1983 10(10):2125-2129

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 6354099

Study snapshot

DesignDouble-blind clinical trial
Model19 patients receiving anthracycline-containing chemotherapy for hematologic malignancy
Sample19 entered participants
InterventionOral CoQ10 120 mg/day or placebo during anthracycline-based chemotherapy
Duration
EndpointsGrade of hair loss; Adverse reactions to anthracycline chemotherapy; GOT/AST and GPT/ALT elevations

What the study showed, in plain terms

This small double-blind trial tested whether oral CoQ10 could reduce anthracycline-related adverse effects, with special attention to chemotherapy-induced hair loss.

There was no statistically significant difference in hair loss between the CoQ10 and comparison groups, so the trial does not support oral CoQ10 as a proven hair-loss preventive treatment.

Key findings

Oral CoQ10 120 mg/day did not significantly reduce chemotherapy-associated hair loss in this small trial.

Liver-enzyme elevations were reported less often in the CoQ10 group, but the study was not designed to establish a modern liver-protection indication.

What this study can and cannot tell us

The trial was very small, old, reported only an English abstract, and involved chemotherapy-associated alopecia rather than common androgenetic hair loss.

The result should not be generalized to topical CoQ10 or to non-chemotherapy causes of hair loss.

Editorial review

Reviewed by the Biohack Blueprint research team

Last verified

Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology