Bone health. New role for vitamin K?
OBJECTIVE
To assess growing evidence that vitamin K (phylloquinone) plays an important role in bone health and, subsequently, in prevention of osteoporotic fractures.


METHODS
We searched MEDLINE from January 1972 to December 2002 using the key words vitamin K and bone health. We reviewed 30 articles that seemed relevant or had a human focus. All evidence can be categorized as level II.


RESULTS
Evidence suggests that dietary phylloquinone intake of <100 microg daily might not be optimal for bone health. Low intake of vitamin K could contribute to osteoporosis and subsequent fracture due to the undercarboxylation of osteocalcin.


CONCLUSIONS
Family physicians need to be aware of the importance of encouraging adequate vitamin K intake, particularly among institutionalized elderly people, to prevent increased bone resorption. Further study is needed to determine the exact role of vitamin K in bone metabolism, and methods of assessing vitamin K requirements need to be standardized.
FEAST Enterprises, Oshawa, Ont.
Milly
M
Ryan-Harshman
Walid
W
Aldoori
D000368:Aged; D001862:Bone Resorption; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000378:metabolism; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014812:Vitamin K / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014813:Vitamin K Deficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000517:prevention & control
D015675:Osteocalcin; D014812:Vitamin K