Vitamin K supplementation in chronic kidney disease patients: where is the evidence?

Stefanos Roumeliotis*, Vassilios Liakopoulos, Leon J Schurgers

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

1 Citation (Web of Science)

Abstract

Vascular calcification (VC) is highly prevalent in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patients, progresses gradually with deterioration of kidney function and is a strong, independent predictor of cardiovascular (CV) mortality. Matrix Gla Protein (MGP), the most potent inhibitor of VC, requires vitamin K as a co-factor to become biologically active. Accumulating epidemiological data have associated vitamin K depletion with VC progression and CV outcomes. CKD patients are characterized by poor vitamin K status and at the same time, pronounced CV calcification. In early and advanced CKD, including end-stage kidney disease, exogenous supplementation of vitamin K (especially with menaquinone 7, its most bioavailable form) might decrease the inactive form of MGP (dephosphorylated, uncarboxylated MGP) and probably retard the progression or even reverse VC. Here, we focus and discuss the interventional human studies of vitamin K supplementation in CKD patients and suggest future directions in this area of interest.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)121-126
Number of pages6
JournalCurrent Vascular Pharmacology
Volume20
Issue number2
Early online date9 Feb 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022

Keywords

  • ARTERIAL CALCIFICATION
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • DOUBLE-BLIND
  • HEMODIALYSIS-PATIENTS
  • MATRIX GLA PROTEIN
  • PREDICTS MORTALITY
  • RISK
  • STIFFNESS
  • VASCULAR CALCIFICATION
  • dephosphorylated uncarboxylated MGP
  • end stage kidney disease
  • matrix gla protein
  • vascular calcification
  • vitamin K2

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