High dietary menaquinone intake is associated with reduced coronary calcification.
BACKGROUND
Dietary vitamin K is thought to decrease risk of cardiovascular disease by reducing coronary calcification, but inconsistent results are reported. This may be due to different effects of vitamin K(1) (phylloquinone) and vitamin K(2) (menaquinone, MK), but few studies included both.


METHODS
We investigated the association of intake of phylloquinone and menaquinone, including its subtypes (MK4-MK10), with coronary calcification in a cross-sectional study among 564 post-menopausal women. Phylloquinone and menaquinone intake was estimated using a food-frequency questionnaire.


RESULTS
Sixty-two percent (n=360) of the women had coronary calcification based on 1.5-mm thick slices. Phylloquinone intake was not associated with coronary calcification with a relative risk (RR) of 1.17 (95%-confidence interval: 0.96-1.42; p(trend)=0.11) of the highest versus lowest quartile. Menaquinone intake was associated with decreased coronary calcification with an RR of 0.80 (95%-CI: 0.65-0.98; p(trend)=0.03).


CONCLUSIONS
This study shows that high dietary menaquinone intake, but probably not phylloquinone, is associated with reduced coronary calcification. Adequate menaquinone intakes could therefore be important to prevent cardiovascular disease.
Beulens
Joline W J
JW
Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands. J.Beulens@umcutrecht.nl
Bots
Michiel L
ML
Atsma
Femke
F
Bartelink
Marie-Louise E L
ML
Prokop
Matthias
M
Geleijnse
Johanna M
JM
Witteman
Jacqueline C M
JC
Grobbee
Diederick E
DE
van der Schouw
Yvonne T
YT
D000368:Aged; D000933:Antifibrinolytic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D017698:Postmenopause; D012306:Risk; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D024482:Vitamin K 2 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism*
D000933:Antifibrinolytic Agents; D024482:Vitamin K 2