Vitamin K Supplementation in Postmenopausal Women with Osteopenia
Author Information
Author(s): Angela Cheung, Lianne Tile, Yuna Lee, George Tomlinson, Gillian Hawker, Judy Scher, Hanxian Hu, Reinhold Vieth, Lilian Thompson, Sophie Jamal, Robert Josse
Primary Institution: University of Toronto
Hypothesis
Vitamin K1 supplementation would reduce bone loss in postmenopausal women with osteopenia.
Conclusion
Daily 5 mg of vitamin K1 supplementation does not protect against age-related decline in bone mineral density, but may protect against fractures and cancers in postmenopausal women with osteopenia.
Supporting Evidence
- Vitamin K1 supplementation increased serum vitamin K1 levels by 10-fold.
- Fewer women in the vitamin K group had clinical fractures (nine versus 20).
- Fewer women in the vitamin K group had cancers (three versus 12).
- Vitamin K supplements were well-tolerated over the 4-y period.
Takeaway
This study looked at whether taking vitamin K could help women after menopause keep their bones strong. It found that while vitamin K didn't help bones get denser, it might help prevent broken bones and some cancers.
Methodology
A 2-y randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial with 440 postmenopausal women with osteopenia receiving either 5 mg of vitamin K1 or placebo daily.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the small number of fractures and cancers observed.
Limitations
The study was not powered to examine fracture outcomes, and the number of cancers observed was small.
Participant Demographics
Mean age of participants was 59 years, with 88% being European Canadian.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p = 0.04 for fractures, p = 0.02 for cancers
Confidence Interval
95% CI −0.67% to 0.54% for BMD at lumbar spine
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website