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Has anyone seen a reduction in their CAC score from taking vitamin K2?
I was told earlier this week that my CAC score is 2534. I considered myself to be a very healthy 60 year old male. I've never drank or smoked, always maintained my weight right around 155 lbs. (at 5'7"), hiked all my life (and still hike, but not as much or as far). I ate primarily chicken, pork and salmon the last 8-10 years (VERY rarely red meat) and no family history of heart disease except an uncle who had a heart attack (and was a heavy smoker until that wake-up call) and my dad who passed away from a heart attack at 84. So to say I was shocked when my doctor called and told me the score is a big understatement.
I've been doing a LOT of research on CAC scores since I got my results this past Tuesday. It's been a roller coaster of emotion because one article gives you hope, then another takes you back down lol
I've started on K2 (in addition to the D3 I started about 3 weeks ago).
I'd love to hear from anyone who's been on K2 (and especially the MK-7 "variety" of K2) who has seen improvement in their score.
Thanks!
Andy
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with such a low CAC score you must be doing something right. What is your bloodwork numbers age exercise etc?
I’m 67 years old. Cholesterol numbers aren’t really good, ldl 130, hdl 55, triglycerides 80. I don’t exercise nearly as much as I should, maybe a couple hours every other week. I eat fairly well, lean meats, both poultry and beef (primarily filet), and salmon. Plenty of fruit and veggies. I also take urolithin A, veggies & fruits supplements, K2, DS-01 Seed, and a few other vitamins. I’m going to go back to the medical imaging facility and grab those results again, to ensure I’m passing accurate numbers.
Be sure to ask for a Lipoprotein(a) test…it is another risk factor for CAD that is not in the normal lipid panel.
yes definitely
@jkr123 I checked with my cardiologist and he said he had no problem with me taking 300 IU daily of vitamin K2
Am 86. Had quad bypass 20 years ago. Recent cath shows blockage to the extent that any attempt at physical clearing might have very undesirable result. Have been taking K2 + D3 for the last 4 months. I think frequency of nitro requirement is diminished, although it was only one (or infrequently two) per week in the past.
Suggestions?
@friscogirl Since my last post on the matter, we discovered that my wife has MCI. Mainly associated with mild short term memory loss and executive functioning. Since April, we’ve been in the gym (with a trainer) 3-5 days a week, some Pilates, and meds/supplements. Started following a Dr Nathan Bryan. A SME on nitric oxide and its super impact on the body…to include vascular and brain. Highly recommend looking into it.
@mayoconnectuser1
Yes. There are many recent studies showing that K2 can reduce plaque in arteries. The FDA has not acknowledged it but European health societies have.
From Cleveland Clinic: Improves heart health
In addition to its positive effects on blood clotting and strong bones, vitamin K helps keeps your heart healthy. That’s because of the way it acts to clear out calcium from your blood vessels.
When calcium builds up in your body, it can lead to hardening (or calcification) of your tissues, organs and blood vessels. Calcium deposits in your arteries can lead to high blood pressure, kidney disease and more.
“Vitamin K has been shown to help activate a protein that helps prevent calcium from depositing in your arteries,” Zumpano explains. “Calcium deposits contribute to the development of plaque, so vitamin K does a lot of good for your heart health.”
Some early research has shown that vitamin K2 may be more effective at clearing out calcium than vitamin K1.
One study found that people who took in at least 32 micrograms per day of vitamin K2 in their diet were 50% less likely to die from heart disease related to hardened arteries. People in that study didn’t consume any vitamin K1. ( from Cleveland Clinic Health https://health.clevelandclinic.org/vitamin-k2 )
@slynnb Do you know if the studies were referring to mk4 or mk7? Thanks
@slynnb To be clear, reducing future plaque buildup is not the same thing as reducing *existing* plaque. Nothing is going to remove plaque from the artery walls. If only it were as easy as taking a vitamin.
I do take K2 and D3.