Prevention of vasculopathy by vitamin K supplementation: Can we turn fiction into fact?. Issue 1 (May 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Brandenburg, Vincent M.; Schurgers, Leon J.; Kaesler, Nadine; Püsche, Katrin; van Gorp, Rick H.; Leftheriotis, Georges; Reinartz, Sebastian; Koos, Ralf; Krüger, Thilo
• Is Part Of: Atherosclerosis. Volume 240:Issue 1(2015)
• Page Start: 10
• Page End: 16
• Publication Date: 2015-05
• Subjects: Arteriosclerosis -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.136
• DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2015.02.040
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0021-9150

Abstract

<abstract xml:lang="en" abstract-type="author" id="abs0010"> <title id="sectitle0010">Abstract</title> <sec> <p id="abspara0010">With the discovery that vitamin K-dependent matrix Gla-protein (MGP) is a strong and modifiable factor in the prevention of arterial calcification, vitamin K was put forward as novel treatment option in cardiovascular disease. The vasculoprotective properties of vitamin K are in part based on the ability to improve gamma-glutamylcarboxylation of MGP, which is a prerequisite for MGP as a calcification inhibitor. Data from experimental animal models reveal that high intake of vitamin K can prevent and even reverse vascular calcifications. In addition, clinical data demonstrate that prescription of vitamin K antagonists for long-term oral anticoagulant therapy accelerates vascular calcification. However, controlled data from randomized prospective vitamin K interventional trials are lacking, thereby weakening a general recommendation for supplementation. The present article summarizes our current knowledge on the association between vitamin K and cardiovascular health. Additionally, we focus on an outlook on important ongoing prospective vitamin K intervention studies. These studies address the issues whether vitamin K substitution helps modifying relevant cardiovascular surrogates such as vascular calcification and whether non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants provide an alternative to support cardiovascular health benefits. So research about cardiovascular protection by vitamin K is an evolving field in which we expect a boost of novel and relevant evidence shortly.</p> </sec> </abstract>