Vitamin K – an update, part 2

Peer-reviewed | Manuscript received: February 17, 2017 | Revision accepted: August 08, 2017

Part 2: Medical aspects

Vitamin K and cardiovascular health

Vitamin K appears to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis – including Mönckeberg’s arteriosclerosis (medial calcific sclerosis) – by activating the matrix gla protein (MGP) which inhibits the deposition of calcium in the arterial walls. The consequences of ectopic blood vessel calcification like peripheral artery disease, heart attack, and stroke on the one hand, and hypertension and heart failure on the other hand can be life-threatening.

It is assumed that MGP binds calcium ions and surrounds them like a shell that prevents the development of hydroxyapatite crystals and their ossification-like effects on the affected soft tissues [54, 61]. Whether a high proportion of carboxylation of MGP can actually protect against atherosclerotic microcalcifications and subsequent plaque ruptures still has to be investigated.

Abstract

In the second part of this article, the extrahepatic functions of vitamin K will be discussed in more detail. Recently, there have been numerous indications that suboptimal vitamin K status is associated with adverse effects on cardiovascular and bone health. This article will present relevant cohort and interventional studies on arterial calcification and bone mineral density (BMD) in the form of a literature review. The potential effect of vitamin K status on other diseases like osteoarthritis, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cancer will also be mentioned briefly.

Keywords: vitamin K, matrix gla protein (MGP), osteocalcin, atherosclerosis, calcification, bone mineral density (BMD), osteoarthritis, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cancer

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