Serum vitamin K level and bone mineral density in post-menopausal women.
OBJECTIVE
Vitamin K is known to influence bone metabolism by facilitating the synthesis of osteocalcin (BGP). The bone mineral density decreases drastically after menopause. We investigated the relationship of bone mineral density, vitamin K levels and other biological parameters of bone metabolism in post-menopausal women.


METHODS
Serum levels of vitamin K, BGP and other markers of bone metabolism were measured in 71 post-menopausal women (19 with reduced bone mineral density and 52 with normal bone density), and 24 women with climacteric symptoms receiving hormone replacement therapy (HRT), (6 with reduced bone mineral density and 18 with normal density).


RESULTS
In the first group, women with reduced bone mineral density showed lower levels of vitamin K1 and K2 than those with normal bone mineral density. In the other group, the level of BGP decreased but levels of vitamin K showed no increase during HRT.


CONCLUSIONS
The present findings suggested that vitamin K was related to post-menopausal bone mineral loss.
Kanai
T
T
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka Kosei-Nenkin Hospital, Japan.
Takagi
T
T
Masuhiro
K
K
Nakamura
M
M
Iwata
M
M
Saji
F
F
D015519:Bone Density; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000378:metabolism; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology*; D014812:Vitamin K / Q000097:blood*
D015675:Osteocalcin; D014812:Vitamin K