title: [Vitamin K2 as a protector of bone health and beyond].
abstract: Several lives of evidence indicate a protective effect of vitamin K against osteoporosis. Epidemiological studies showed that low vitamin K intake is associated with the increased risk of osteoporosis. Vitamin K2 (menatetrenone, MK-4) has been clinically used in the treatment of patients with osteoporosis in Japan, Korea and Thailand. Previous studies demonstrated the efficacy of vitamin K2 (45 mg/day) to prevent bone loss and reduce the rate of vertebral fractures, although a large, randomized intervention study is anticipated to provide more detailed evidence. Recently, vitamin K2 has been shown to reduce the progression of hepatocarcinoma. Moreover, it has been proposed that vitamin K may also have beneficial effects to prevent atherogenesis. The clarification of molecular mechanisms by which vitamin K2 exerts these salutary effects deserve further investigations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia & Critical Care, Signal Transduction Laboratory Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, USA.
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaneki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000517:prevention & control; D003704:Dementia / Q000517:prevention & control; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D024482:Vitamin K 2 / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D024482:Vitamin K 2