High dietary menaquinone intake is associated with reduced coronary calcification

Beulens, Joline W.J.; Bots, Michiel L.; Atsma, Femke; Bartelink, Marie-Louise E.L.; Prokop, Matthias; Geleijnse, Johanna M.; Witteman, Jacqueline C.M.; Grobbee, Diederick E.; van der Schouw, Yvonne T.

doi:10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2008.07.010

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Volume 203, Issue 2 , Pages 489-493, April 2009

High dietary menaquinone intake is associated with reduced coronary calcification

Joline W.J. Beulens
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Corresponding author at: Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Room STR 6.131, PO Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands. Tel.: +31 88 755 9367; fax: +31 88 755 9028.
Michiel L. Bots
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Femke Atsma
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Marie-Louise E.L. Bartelink
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Matthias Prokop
- Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Johanna M. Geleijnse
- Department of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
Jacqueline C.M. Witteman
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Diederick E. Grobbee
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Yvonne T. van der Schouw
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands

Received 16 April 2008; received in revised form 4 July 2008; accepted 7 July 2008. published online 26 August 2008.

Abstract

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 K₁ (phylloquinone) and vitamin K₂ (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).

Conclusion

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.

Keywords: Vitamin K, Menaquinone, Phylloquinone, Coronary calcification, Cardiovascular disease