Vitamin K2 (MK-7) May Slow Coronary Artery Calcification Progression

A Dutch randomized clinical trial found that two years of vitamin K2 (menaquinone-7, MK-7) supplementation significantly slowed the progression of coronary artery calcification (CAC) in patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease (CAD) compared with placebo. In the VitaK-CAC study, 180 patients with existing coronary calcification were randomized to receive either 360 μg of MK-7 daily or placebo and were followed for two years. While CAC scores increased in both groups, the progression was significantly lower in the MK-7 group, even after adjustment for clinical factors. Similar benefits were observed for calcium mass. The increase in calcification was associated with the conversion of noncalcified plaques into partially calcified plaques, suggesting that MK-7 may influence plaque calcification processes. Plasma MK-7 levels rose substantially in treated participants, and no significant adverse effects were reported. These findings suggest that long-term MK-7 supplementation may slow calcification in noncalcified coronary plaques among patients with symptomatic CAD, although its impact on plaque stability and cardiovascular outcomes remains uncertain. Source: https://jamanetwork.com/