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Effect of Ubiquinol on Cognitive Function, Blood Pressure, Arterial Stiffness, and Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in the Elderly: A Randomized Trial

Madeleine C Nankivell, Franklin Rosenfeldt, Jeffery M Reddan, Judy B de Haan, Cherry Zhang Ping, Beaudan Campbell-Brown, Andrew Pipingas, Matthew P Pase, Ruchong Ou, Matthew B Cooke, David L Hare, Con Stough
Antioxidants (Basel) 2026 15(7):806

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 42510537
PubMed Central
PMC13404211
DOI
10.3390/antiox15070806

Study snapshot

DesignRandomized placebo-controlled human trial
Model111 adults aged 60 years and older with essentially normal cognition
Sample111 randomized participants
InterventionUbiquinol 200 mg/day for 90 days versus placebo
Duration90 days
EndpointsComposite memory performance; Processing time; Subjective memory; Plasma CoQ10; Oxidative stress; Inflammation; Blood pressure; Arterial stiffness; Mood

What the study showed, in plain terms

In 111 adults aged 60 years and older, 200 mg/day of ubiquinol for 90 days increased plasma CoQ10 to about four times the placebo level but did not improve memory, processing time, cardiovascular measures, oxidative-stress or inflammatory biomarkers, or mood versus placebo.

Post hoc associations between changes in CoQ10 or oxidative stress and memory were hypothesis-generating and do not overturn the null randomized between-group cognitive result.

Key findings

Plasma CoQ10 increased markedly with ubiquinol supplementation, confirming exposure.

No between-group benefit was found for composite memory or processing-time outcomes after 90 days.

No significant treatment benefit was found for the prespecified cardiovascular, oxidative-stress, inflammatory or mood outcomes.

Post hoc regression associations suggested hypotheses for future trials but were not randomized treatment effects.

What this study can and cannot tell us

Participants were older adults with largely normal cognition, so the findings may not generalize to people with mild cognitive impairment or dementia.

The intervention lasted 90 days, which may be too short to detect slower cognitive trajectories, but the null randomized result remains the appropriate primary interpretation.

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