Vitamin K Supplementation for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: Where Is the Evidence? A Systematic Review of Controlled Trials
Nutrients 2020, 12(10), 2909; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12102909
by Caitlyn Vlasschaert 1,Chloe J. Goss 1,Nathan G. Pilkey 1,Sandra McKeown 2OrcID and Rachel M. Holden 1,3,*
1 Department of Medicine, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3V6, Canada
2 Bracken Health Sciences Library, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 2V5, Canada
3 Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3V6, Canada
By ignoring the amount and type of Vitamin K given by a trial no benefit was found
Trials which give enough of the right type did find a benefit
Note: May need even larger amounts if
You are taking a lot of Vitamin D
You are obese
Items in both categories Cardiovascular and Vitamin K:
- Cardiovascular Disease prevented by Vitamin K2-4 when enough is used – RTC review Sept 2020
- Calcium Supplementation is OK provided you also take Vitamin K – Feb 2019
- Vitamin K reduces calcification (reported yet again) – Feb 2019
- Vitamin K (across all dose sizes and types) decrease Vascular Stiffness – meta-analysis - Dec 2018
- Vitamin D and Vitamin K together fight CVD Part 1- Pizzorno
- Vitamin K, Cardiovascular and interactions with Vitamin D and Vitamin A – Pizzorno July 2018
- Mortality associated with Vitamin K insufficiency (PREVEND Study) – Nov 2017
- Intracranial arterial calcification in 85 percent of ischemic strokes (Vitamin K and Vitamin D should help) – Oct 2017
- Decalcify Aortic Valve – 3 year trial with 1 mg of Vitamin K and 5,000 IU of Vitamin D – 2021
- Cardiovascular problems reduced by low dose aspirin and perhaps Omega-3 (also Vit K) – Sept 2017
- Athletes maximal cardiac output increased 12 percent with Vitamin K2 – RCT July 2017
- Fast blood flow 6.8 X more likely if high vitamin D AND high vitamin K – Aug 2017
- Low Vitamin K2 is as risky as smoking for heart disease - Oct 2016
- Cardiovascular death: 9 percent due to hypertension or air pollution, 7 percent: low Vitamin K2 or smoking – Oct 2016
- Decreased need for warfarin after Vitamin D levels optimized – RCT May 2016
- Cardiovascular calcification prevented by Omega-3, Magnesium, Vitamin K, and Vitamin D – April 2015
- The health benefits of vitamin K – Oct 2015
- If you must take statins and want to avoid hardening of arteries, take vitamin K2 – RCT May 2015
- Vitamin K2 decreases arterial stiffness (cleans arteries) – RCT Feb 2015
- Hypothesis: Vitamin K will reduce prostate blood vessel problems – Jan 2015
- Increased Vitamin K2 reduces the problems of excess Calcium – Nov 2013
- Cholesterol, Vitamins D3 and K2, heart disease, sulfates, LDL, – Masterjohn Interview Jan 2013
- Soft Bones, Hard Arteries, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2 and antibiotics – Sept 2012
- Vitamin D – vitamin K – bittle bones – hardened arteries – LEF Sept 2010
 Download the PDF from Vitamin D Life
Tables clipped and trimmed from PDF
Matrix gla protein (MGP) is an important vitamin K-dependent inhibitor of vascular calcification. High levels of uncarboxylated, dephosphorylated MGP have been associated with vascular calcification and are responsive to vitamin K treatment. In this systematic review, we summarize the available evidence examining whether vitamin K supplementation improves surrogate measures of cardiovascular disease including artery and valve calcification, atherosclerosis and artery stiffening. Data from controlled trials of adults were obtained by searching Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and the Web of Science Core Collection. We identified nine randomized controlled trials for review, including trials of vitamin K1 or vitamin K2 supplementation, that assessed a surrogate measure of cardiovascular disease including arterial calcification, atherosclerosis or arterial stiffening. For each trial, the risk of bias was assessed applying Cochrane Collaboration methodology. The findings indicate that vitamin K does not consistently prevent progression of calcification, atherosclerosis or arterial stiffness. There may be some benefit in people with calcification at study entry. Studies were heterogenous, with relatively short follow-up and outcome measures were varied. While vitamin K supplementation clearly improves the carboxylation of dephosphoylated MGP, its role in mitigating vascular calcification is uncertain, based on current evidence.