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Improved health-related quality of life, and more days out of hospital with supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10 combined. Results from a double blind, placebo-controlled prospective study

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The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Background

The impact of supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) on health-care usage and health-related quality of life (Hr-QoL) in community-dwelling elderly people has, to our knowledge, not previously been investigated.

Aim

To investigate the effect of 48 months supplementation with CoQ10 and selenium on community-dwelling elderly as regards: (I) the number of days out of hospital, and (II) the effect on Hr-QoL.

Methods

A 48-month double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial was carried out. A total of 443 participants were given CoQ10 and organic selenium yeast combined, or a placebo. All admissions to the Department of Internal Medicine or Cardiology were evaluated. Hr-QoL were measured with the Short Form-36 (SF-36), the Cardiac Health Profile (CHP) and one item overall-quality of life (overall-QoL).

Results

A total of 206 participants were evaluated after 48 months. No changes were found in the number of days out of hospital or Hr-QoL. A sub-analysis of participants matched for age, gender and baseline cardiac wall tension as measured by NT-proBNP was performed. The mean number of days out of hospital was 1779 for those taking the active substance compared to 1533 for those taking the placebo (p=0.03). Those with active substance declined significantly less in the HR-QoL domains of physical role performance (p=0.001), vitality (p=0.001), physical component score (p=0.001), overall QoL (p=0.001), somatic dimension (p=0.001), conative dimension (p=0.001) and global function (p=0.001).

Conclusion

In a match-group analysis selenium and CoQ10 increased the number of days out of hospital and slowed the deterioration in Hr-QoL.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiology, University Hospital of Linköping, SE-581 85, Linköping, Sweden

    Peter Johansson, U. Dahlström & U. Alehagen

  2. Department Department of Behavioral Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden

    Ö. Dahlström

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  1. Peter Johansson
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  2. Ö. Dahlström
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  3. U. Dahlström
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  4. U. Alehagen
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Correspondence to Peter Johansson.

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Johansson, P., Dahlström, Ö., Dahlström, U. et al. Improved health-related quality of life, and more days out of hospital with supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10 combined. Results from a double blind, placebo-controlled prospective study. J Nutr Health Aging 19, 870–877 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-015-0509-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-015-0509-9

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