Tier 3 — preclinical

The effect of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on in vitro fertilization outcomes in infertile patients with polycystic ovary syndrome

Latife Mutlu Özmen, Neriman İnanç, Ahmet Emin Mutlu, Aslı Gizem Çapar
Nutrition & Health 2026 Online ahead of print, Sep 28, 2026

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 42804261
DOI
10.1177/02601060261491431
Funding
Not ascertainable from the accessible abstract.
Competing interests
Not ascertainable from the accessible abstract.

Study snapshot

DesignRetrospective nonrandomized cohort study
ModelHuman; infertile women with PCOS undergoing IVF
Sample154
InterventionPre-IVF CoQ10 100 mg/day for 4 weeks (n=75) versus no CoQ10 (n=79).
Duration4 weeks before IVF.
EndpointsMature MII oocytes; 2PN fertilization; Pregnancy; Clinical pregnancy; Live birth

What the study showed, in plain terms

This 2026 retrospective cohort compared IVF outcomes in women with PCOS who did or did not use CoQ10 before treatment. CoQ10 users had more mature oocytes and higher pregnancy and live-birth rates, but because treatment was not randomized these strong associations cannot establish that CoQ10 caused the better outcomes.

Key findings

Among 154 women with PCOS undergoing IVF, the CoQ10 group had more mature oocytes and higher observed pregnancy, clinical-pregnancy, and live-birth rates. The adjusted odds ratio for live birth was 6.86 (95% CI 2.42-19.47) after adjustment for age and BMI.

What this study can and cannot tell us

This was a retrospective, nonrandomized study. Supplement users may differ from nonusers in important ways, and adjustment was limited primarily to age and BMI. Selection bias, confounding by indication, treatment differences, and residual confounding can explain part or all of the observed association, so the findings are hypothesis-generating rather than proof of efficacy.

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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