According to this recent study, levels of co-enzyme Q10 decline by about 40% in the human retina with age. Co-enyzme Q10 is a component of the electron transport chain and participates in aerobic cellular respiration, generating energy in the form of ATP. Ninety-five percent of the human body’s energy is generated this way, so it stands to reason that such a marked depletion in the retina is indicative of a decline in respiratory efficiency, and may have implications for macular degeneration, possibly as a result of increased oxidative stress.

Does this provide a case for CoQ10 supplementation? Not necessarily, but it certainly suggests that more research is definitely in order.

Personally, I take idebenone in lieu of CoQ10 because it is purported to serve an identical function, yet it is not susceptible to producing ROS under hypoxic conditions.

Coenzyme Q10 in the Human Retina.

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2008 Dec 5; PMID: 19060288

Qu J, Kaufman Y, Washington I.

Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University, NY, New York, United States; Ophthalmology, Peking University, Beijing, China.

Purpose: To determine the concentration of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) in the human retina. Methods: Eye tissues were lyophilized and exhaustively extracted with heptane. The extracts were analyzed for Coenzyme Q10 by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results: The average concentration of CoQ10 in the retina was 42+/-11 nmol/g dry retina for donors under 30 years of age and 24+/-13 nmol/g dry retina for donors above 80 years of age. The average concentrations of CoQ10 in the choroid was 27+/-16 nmol/g dry choroid for donors under 30 years of age and 18+/-11 nmol/g dry choroid for donors above 80 years of age. Conclusions: Coenzyme Q10 levels in the retina can decline by about 40 percent with age. This decline may have two consequences: a decrease in antioxidant ability and a decrease in the rate of ATP synthesis in the retina and, as such, this decline may be linked to the progression of macular degeneration.