A high menaquinone intake reduces the incidence of coronary heart disease

Gast, G.C.M.; de Roos, N.M.; Sluijs, I.; Bots, M.L.; Beulens, J.W.J.; Geleijnse, J.M.; Witteman, J.C.; Grobbee, D.E.; Peeters, P.H.M.; van der Schouw, Y.T.

doi:10.1016/j.numecd.2008.10.004

« Previous Next »Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases
Volume 19, Issue 7 , Pages 504-510, September 2009

A high menaquinone intake reduces the incidence of coronary heart disease

G.C.M. Gast
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
- Corresponding author. 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 9360/9384 (secr); fax: +31 88 755 5485.
N.M. de Roos
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
I. Sluijs
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
M.L. Bots
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
J.W.J. Beulens
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
J.M. Geleijnse
- Department of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
J.C. Witteman
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
D.E. Grobbee
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
P.H.M. Peeters
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
Y.T. van der Schouw
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands

Received 27 June 2008; received in revised form 14 October 2008; accepted 21 October 2008. published online 30 January 2009.

Abstract

Background and Aim

Vitamin K dependent proteins have been demonstrated to inhibit vascular calcification. Data on the effect of vitamin K intake on coronary heart disease (CHD) risk, however, are scarce.

To examine the relationship between dietary vitamins K₁ and K₂ intake, and its subtypes, and the incidence of CHD.

Methods and Results

We used data from the Prospect–EPIC cohort consisting of 16,057 women, enrolled between 1993 and 1997 and aged 49–70 years, who were free of cardiovascular diseases at baseline. Intake of vitamin K and other nutrients was estimated with a food frequency questionnaire. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to analyse the data.

After a mean±SD follow-up of 8.1±1.6 years, we identified 480 incident cases of CHD. Mean vitamin K₁ intake was 211.7±100.3μg/d and vitamin K₂ intake was 29.1±12.8μg/d. After adjustment for traditional risk factors and dietary factors, we observed an inverse association between vitamin K₂ and risk of CHD with a Hazard Ratio (HR) of 0.91 [95% CI 0.85–1.00] per 10μg/d vitamin K₂ intake. This association was mainly due to vitamin K₂ subtypes MK-7, MK-8 and MK-9. Vitamin K₁ intake was not significantly related to CHD.

Conclusions

A high intake of menoquinones, especially MK-7, MK-8 and MK-9, could protect against CHD. However, more research is necessary to define optimal intake levels of vitamin K intake for the prevention of CHD.

Keywords: Coronary heart disease, Diet, Food frequency questionnaire, Vitamin K