High Vitamin K Status is Prospectively Associated with Decreased Left Ventricular Mass in Women: The Hoorn Study

Background: Vitamin K is associated with reduced cardiovascular disease risk such as heart failure, possibly by carboxylation of matrix-gla protein (MGP), a potent inhibitor of vascular calcification. The relationship of vitamin K intake or status with cardiac structure and function is largely unknown. Therefore this study aims to investigate the prospective association of vitamin K status and intake with echocardiographic measures. Methods: : This study included 427 participants from the Hoorn Study, a population-based cohort. Vitamin K status was assessed at baseline by plasma desphospho-uncarboxylated MGP (dp-ucMGP) with higher concentrations reflecting lower vitamin K status. Vitamin K intake was assessed at baseline with a validated food-frequency questionnaire. Echocardiography was performed at baseline and after 7.6 years follow-up. We used linear regression for the association of vitamin K status and intake with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left atrial volume index (LAVI) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI), adjusted for potential confounders. Results: : The mean age was 66.8±6.1 years (51% were male). A high vitamin K status was prospectively associated with decreased LVMI -5.0 (-10.5;0.4) g/m 2.7 for the highest quartile compared to the lowest in women ( P -interaction sex=0.07). No association was found in men. Vitamin K status was not associated with LVEF or LAVI. Intakes of vitamin K were not associated with any of the echocardiographic measures. Conclusions: : This study indicates that a high vitamin K status is associated with decreased LVMI only in women. These results extend previous findings for a role of vitamin K status to decrease heart failure risk.