Gnosis by Lesaffre have recently shared the results of a clinical trial determining the role of vitamin K2 in heart health.
Human clinical studies have shown that Vitamin K2 as MK-7 provides cardiovascular support that is not currently available through conventional therapies—namely, improving arterial flexibility and elasticity through activating the K-dependent Matrix GLA Protein (MGP).
Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) acknowledged the substantial clinical evidence showing how vitamin K2 improves heart and bone health and the impact this could have on healthcare costs in its 2023 report.
The report states: “It is documented to have a role in minimising coronary artery calcium accumulation, a risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD), along with increasing calcium content in bone.”
“The expanded targeted use of vitamin K2 by specific populations could reduce CAD-attributed events by 15.7% and generate an estimated cost savings to the U.S. healthcare system of $9.48 billion a year between 2022 and 2030.”
Last year, there were substantial additions to the body of evidence confirming Vitamin K2 as MK-7’s role in heart health, specifically for women.
A 2023 observational study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association performed a comprehensive analysis of reproductive factors specific to women and their links to a range of cardiovascular diseases, including atrial fibrillation (irregular heart rate), coronary heart disease, heart failure, and stroke.
Using Mendelian randomisation, the researchers revealed an association between the genes that predict reproductive factors and the risk of multiple cardiovascular diseases. According to British Heart Foundation data, coronary heart disease kills more than twice as many women as breast cancer in the U.K.[1]
A post-hoc analysis of the MenaQ7 K2 as MK-7 1-year cardiovascular study showed that daily supplementation could improve the elastic properties of vessels and promote healthy blood pressure in women with increased arterial stiffness.
This post-hoc analysis was presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress in August 2023 and will be published later this year.
There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that vitamin K2, especially menaquinone-7, might be the ‘next big thing’ in the battle against vascular calcification,” says Dr. Stefanos Roumeliotis, MD, PhD, Nephrologist at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece, lead researcher for the VIKIPEDIA study and new member of the Gnosis by Lesaffre Vitamin K2 Scientific Advisory Committee.
“As the research grows and focuses on populations with heavy cardiovascular burden, such as chronic kidney disease patients, it is important to note that MenaQ7 K2 as MK-7 by Gnosis by Lessafre is a safe agent with no major side effects and potentially antiatherogenic and nephroprotective properties.”