Vitamin K2 Supplement Slows Artery Calcification in Two-Year Dutch Trial
A placebo-controlled trial found daily MK-7 supplementation modestly reduced coronary artery calcification progression over two years.
Summary
A Dutch clinical trial published in JAMA Cardiology found that daily supplementation with menaquinone-7 (MK-7), a form of vitamin K2, measurably slowed the buildup of calcium deposits in coronary arteries over two years. Participants with existing coronary artery disease who took MK-7 showed significantly lower CAC scores and calcium mass compared to placebo. The benefit appeared most pronounced in early-to-moderate noncalcified plaques. Researchers caution the effect is modest and clinical outcomes like heart attacks or mortality were not measured. Still, the findings add meaningful evidence that vitamin K2 may play a protective role in cardiovascular health, particularly for those already showing signs of atherosclerosis.
Detailed Summary
Coronary artery calcification is a well-established marker of cardiovascular risk, and slowing its progression is a meaningful target for heart disease prevention. A new placebo-controlled trial from the Netherlands now provides some of the strongest clinical evidence yet that a specific form of vitamin K2 can do exactly that.
The VitaK-CAC trial tested daily supplementation with menaquinone-7 (MK-7) in patients with symptomatic chronic coronary artery disease. After two years, CAC scores in the MK-7 group rose from 135 to 184 AU, compared to 145 to 214 AU in the placebo group. Calcium mass followed a similar pattern, with the supplement group showing meaningfully lower accumulation at both one and two years. Both differences reached statistical significance at P=0.02.
The benefit was not uniform across all plaque types. MK-7 appeared most effective at slowing calcification in noncalcified and early-stage plaques, with no measurable effect on advanced plaques or on the development of new atherosclerotic lesions. The degree of arterial stenosis and number of affected vessels also showed no difference between groups.
Researchers note that the true effect of MK-7 may have been underestimated due to 80% adherence rates, a 17% dropout rate, and the inability of standard CT imaging to detect microcalcifications. An accompanying editorial from Johns Hopkins experts raised the possibility that MK-7 may shift calcium into smaller, CT-invisible deposits rather than preventing it outright — a nuance with potential clinical implications.
Practically, MK-7 is a gut-derived compound found in fermented foods like natto and available as a supplement. While these findings are encouraging, the authors stress that only a full outcomes trial measuring cardiovascular events can confirm whether slowing CAC progression with MK-7 translates into real-world heart protection.
Key Findings
- Daily MK-7 supplementation significantly slowed CAC score progression over 2 years vs placebo (184 vs 214 AU).
- Calcium mass accumulation was also meaningfully lower in the MK-7 group at both 1 and 2 years.
- Benefit was limited to early and moderately developed noncalcified plaques, not advanced or new lesions.
- MK-7 had no effect on arterial stenosis severity or number of vessels affected.
- True efficacy may be underestimated due to imaging limitations and participant dropout.
Methodology
This is a news report summarizing a placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial (VitaK-CAC) published in JAMA Cardiology, a high-credibility peer-reviewed journal. The trial was conducted at Maastricht University Medical Center with CT-derived CAC scoring as the primary outcome measure. An accompanying editorial from Johns Hopkins cardiovascular specialists adds independent expert context.
Study Limitations
The trial measured CAC progression as a surrogate endpoint, not clinical events like heart attacks or mortality, so real-world benefit remains unproven. Participant adherence was approximately 80% and dropout reached 17%, potentially diluting the observed effect. Standard CT imaging may miss microcalcifications, meaning the mechanism and true magnitude of MK-7's effect require further investigation.
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