The Role of Vitamin K Status in Cardiovascular Health: Evidence from Observational and Clinical Studies

A. J. van Ballegooijen and J. W. Beulens
2017

Abstract

Purpose of Review

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin required for the activation of several vitamin K-dependent proteins to confer functioning. A growing body of evidence supports that vitamin K has beneficial effects on bone and cardiovascular health. This review summarizes key evidence on vitamin K status as measured by circulating measures and cardiovascular outcomes.

Recent Findings

Overall, observational studies indicate that low vitamin K status as measured by high dephosphorylated uncarboxylated matrix gla protein concentrations plays a potential role in cardiovascular disease development, particularly in high-risk and chronic kidney disease populations. Very few vitamin K intervention trials have been conducted with cardiovascular-related outcomes. A couple of intervention trials studied the effect of the combination of vitamin D + K supplementation, which might have synergistic effects compared to vitamin K supplementation alone.

Summary

Assessing vitamin K status in prospective studies and well-designed randomized trials would provide important insight whether vitamin K is causally related to vascular calcification and cardiovascular disease.

Conclusions

Overall, observational studies indicate that vitamin K has a potential role in cardiovascular health particularly in high-risk and chronic kidney disease populations. Vitamin K intervention trials with subclinical cardiovascular endpoints are scarce. Most clinical studies investigated the combination of vitamin D + K supplementation, which might have synergistic effects compared to vitamin K supplementation. Vitamin D may preserve vitamin K-dependent protein activity and can thereby contribute to vascular health. Assessing vitamin K status using multiple biomarkers in prospective studies and well-designed randomized trials would provide important insight whether vitamin K is causally related to vascular calcification and CVD.