Researchers conducted the randomized, double-blind trial to test whether daily vitamin K2 (K2VITAL DELTA) and D3 could slow the progression of coronary artery calcium in people with severe coronary calcification (CAC).
Trygve Bergeland, nutrition science director at Balchem said of the study: “By working with hospitals and universities, we aim to help build the global evidence base behind vitamin K2.”
Vitamin K2 and D3 may support healthy calcium regulation
CAC is a marker of plaque buildup in the heart’s arteries. Higher CAC levels are linked to a greater risk of future heart problems, and increases in CAC over time are also linked to a higher risk of coronary heart disease.
“CAC is among the strongest imaging predictors of future cardiovascular events and reflects the cumulative burden of coronary atherosclerosis,” the researchers wrote. “Although progression of CAC has been associated with subsequent cardiovascular risk, few interventions have been shown to directly modify or slow the calcification process.”
The body actively regulates calcium in the blood vessels through proteins such as matrix Gla protein (MGP), which helps limit unwanted mineral buildup. Vitamin K helps activate MGP, while vitamin D supports its production, which suggests vitamins K2 and D3 could help slow calcium buildup in the arteries, the researchers of the new study noted.
Vitamin K2 and D3 heart health research results
The researchers randomly assigned 398 participants recruited from three Danish hospitals to receive either vitamin K2 plus vitamin D3 or a matching placebo for 24 months. The active treatment provided 720 μg of vitamin K2 and 25 μg of vitamin D3 daily.
Participants underwent CT scans at baseline, 12 months and 24 months to measure CAC. A subset also underwent coronary CT angiography at baseline and 24 months to assess changes in coronary plaque.
Researchers assessed changes in CAC score and examined CAC progression across prespecified subgroups, changes in calcified and non-calcified plaque, major cardiovascular events, biomarkers related to vitamin K and vitamin D, and safety outcomes.
Results showed that after 24 months, participants receiving vitamin K2 and D3 showed less progression of coronary artery calcification by about 21% than those receiving placebo.
“After the two-year period, calcification (measured by CT scan) had advanced in both groups, as expected at this stage,” read a statement from Balchem. “However, the progression was slower with supplementation.”
The reduction was similar across different groups of participants. Those with lower or higher starting levels of arterial calcium saw less progression with supplementation. Detailed artery scans showed the supplement group also slowed the buildup of calcified plaque; however, there was no significant difference in the amount of total or non-calcified plaque.
The supplementation also changed biomarkers associated with vitamin K and vitamin D activity. After two years, inactive matrix Gla protein levels were lower and vitamin D levels were higher in the treatment group than in the placebo group.
Axel Diederichsen, principal investigator of the study and professor at Odense University Hospital in Denmark, said: “Vitamin K2 MK-7 in its all-trans form activates matrix Gla protein, which helps direct calcium to where it is needed in the body.
“In this study, the reduction in calcification progression was accompanied by a marked fall in the inactive form of matrix Gla protein, which tells us the supplementation reached the pathway it was aiming for.”
The researchers noted that larger and longer trials with clinical outcomes are required to determine whether attenuating CAC progression improves cardiovascular outcomes.
Source: Circulation. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.126.082363; “Vitamin K2 and D3 Supplementation in Patients With Severe Coronary Artery Calcification: The DANCODE Trial.” Authors: Diederichsen, A. et al.
