Firefighter Aged Garlic Extract Investigation With CoQ10 as a Treatment for Heart Disease (FAITH)

1. Statement of Problem According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 43.7% of all firefighters that died on the job experienced sudden cardiac death. The job also affords an incredible amount of stress. Cholesterol therapy has been well demonstrated to reduce coronary plaque progression. However is certainly not the only factor in evaluating for progression of coronary artery disease (CAD), and other factors must play a role. Garlic therapy has been shown to retard atherosclerosis independently. 2. Hypothesis and Specific Aims The hypothesis of this proposal is: In comparison to the placebo group, Aged Garlic Extract (AGE) therapy + Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) will be effective in slowing progression of coronary artery calcification (CAC) in firefighters with established atherosclerosis, independent of baseline blood pressure, statin use or other cardiovascular risk factors. Specific Aims: 1. Compare the effects of cholesterol lowering effects in a firefighter population of patients under the influence of Aged Garlic Extract + CoQ10 or placebo. 2. Compare whether degree of change in atherosclerotic coronary artery plaque burden will change at a different rate under the influence of Aged Garlic Extract + CoQ10 compared to placebo treatment. 3. Compare whether Aged Garlic Extract + CoQ10 therapy induces changes in baseline values including biological and biochemical parameters, such as LDL cholesterol, homocysteine, C-reactive protein (CRP), and endothelial function.