Effect of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on work-related fatigue in nurses: a double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled study

Background: Work-related fatigue is common among nurses and may negatively affect patient safety and nurses' well-being. Pharmacological interventions with stimulants have had mixed results. The aim of this study was to determine whether coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplementation improved work-related fatigue in nurses. Methods: In phase one, all nurses working at our institution filled out questionnaires to assess fatigue and sleep quality. In phase two, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, nurses with significant work-related fatigue were randomly assigned to either 200 mg daily CoQ10 (n=54) or placebo (n=51). The primary endpoint was changed in fatigue from baseline to week 4 using a validated questionnaire, the nurses' fatigue scale. The secondary outcome, sleep quality, was measured with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Results: At baseline, 53.6% of 539 nurses had significant fatigue on the nurses' fatigue scale. A total of 68.8% of all nurses worked over 25 shifts a month and 40.7% of them had significant fatigue. A significant correlation was found between fatigue and number of work shifts in those nurses (p=.004). A significant improvement in fatigue and sleep quality was found in the CoQ10 group as compared to the baseline and the placebo group (p=.06 and p =.001, respectively). Conclusion: Preferred multifactorial approaches, e.g. reduced work hours, to fatigue reduction are not currently feasible at our center. Given this practical limitation, CoQ10 supplementation was effective in improving fatigue in nurses and maybe a safe approach, ideally in conjunction with other work condition changes.