Tier 2 — strong

Coenzyme Q10 and male infertility: a meta-analysis

Rafael Lafuente, Mireia González-Comadrán, Ivan Solà, Gemma López, Mario Brassesco, Ramón Carreras, Miguel A Checa
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics 2013 30(9):1147-1156

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 23912751
PubMed Central
PMC3800531
DOI
10.1007/s10815-013-0047-5
Funding
None reported.
Competing interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest.

Study snapshot

DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
ModelHuman; men with infertility
Sample296
InterventionOral CoQ10, generally 200-300 mg/day across included trials, compared with placebo.
DurationVaried across included trials.
EndpointsSeminal CoQ10 concentration; Sperm concentration; Sperm motility; Pregnancy; Live birth

What the study showed, in plain terms

This 2013 meta-analysis pooled three randomized trials of CoQ10 in male infertility. CoQ10 improved several semen measures, including concentration and motility, but the analysis did not show a clear increase in pregnancy and none of the included trials reported live birth.

Key findings

Across three trials involving 296 men, CoQ10 supplementation increased seminal CoQ10 and improved sperm concentration and motility. Pregnancy was not significantly increased, and live birth was not reported.

What this study can and cannot tell us

Only three small randomized trials were available, with heterogeneity in dose and duration. One included Safarinejad trial is now subject to a formal Expression of Concern because of concerns about unusual data features, so pooled numerical estimates deserve additional caution. Semen improvements should not be interpreted as proof of improved live birth.

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Effects of the reduced form of coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinol) on semen parameters in men with idiopathic infertility: a double-blind, placebo controlled, randomized study
Mohammad Reza Safarinejad et al. · The Journal of Urology · 2012
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Evaluation of monotherapy of Coenzyme Q10, L-carnitine or combined therapy on semen parameters in idiopathic male infertility: A placebo-controlled double blind randomized clinical trial
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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