Calcium supplementation, vitamin K status and cardiowaseuiar disease; an additional point

摘要

I read with great interest the excellent review article "Calcium supplementation, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease" by Drs. Meier and Kraenzlin [1]. They note several mechanisms linking calcium supplements with cardiovascular disease and I would like to add an additional point to this review. In recent years, several authors have included vitamin K as a possible protective factor, interacting with calcium and vitamin D in the maintenance of both bone and cardiovascular health [2]. There are two main forms of vitamin K: vitamin Kl (found in vegetables) and vitamin K2 (produced by bacteria in the intestine and in fermented foods) [2]. From a theoretical point of view, vitamin K might potentially decrease the burden of vascular calcifications by maintaining an adequate activity of matrix Gla protein, a vitamin K2 dependent, gamma-carboxylated protein which inhibits vascular calcification [3].