Vitamin K2 and Calcium (CAC) Score

Hi, @dgag8090 - you are correct, there is not a "High Calcium Score" group in the Connect directory. Perhaps @mark430 can point to the discussion he was suggesting? Potentially it was this Connect thread https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/high-calcium-score?

Try this site. If it does not work, please post again and I will try to find another way to get you the site information.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/high-calcium-score/

Hi there.
I'm confused. You say that there have been no clinical trials showing that K supplements can slow calcium deposits on artery walls, but I also read on the NIH site, it says: "In contrast, vitamin K2 is associated with the inhibition of arterial calcification and arterial stiffening. An adequate intake of vitamin K2 has been shown to lower the risk of vascular damage because it activates matrix GLA protein (MGP), which inhibits the deposits of calcium on the walls." Can you clarify the apparent contradiction - I suspect I am missing something.
Thanks.
Leslie

@lalvo, I noticed that you wished to post a URL to a study with your post. You will be able to add URLs to your posts in a few days. There is a brief period where new members can't post links. We do this to deter spammers and keep the community safe. Clearly the link you wanted to post is not spam. Please allow me to post it for you.
- Proper Calcium Use: Vitamin K2 as a Promoter of Bone and Cardiovascular Health (2015) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4566462/

The role of vitamin K, specifically vitamin K2, in heart health is confusing. This more recent article from the American Heart Association referring to 2022 studies helps explain:
- Despite hopes, vitamin K2 supplements fail to slow calcium buildup in heart valve https://www.heart.org/en/news/2022/04/25/despite-hopes-vitamin-k2-supplements-fail-to-slow-calcium-buildup-in-heart-valve

Researchers continue to study the role of vitamin K2, for example:
- Vitamin K Deficiency and Vascular Calcification. Is There Any Evidence about Its Impact on Coronary Artery Disease? https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/77987

It's always best to discuss with your doctor to find out if supplements might be helpful for you and ensure that they are not harmful.

I asked my female cardiologist about taking calcium for bone-support and she admitted that the answers aren't yet clear about the effect on arteries. But she's also taking it as she ages so seems to think the science will come out in support of it. She doesn't tolerate dairy well and is soy-averse so getting enough calcium in her diet is a challenge. For what it's worth, I've been taking a bone-support supplement with K2 for almost 7 years and an echocardiogram a few months back was 'excellent' despite chronic highish cholesterol.

Maybe the answer is to monitor cardiac health more frequently after making any dietary or other changes for a while?

How much background do your doctors have in nutrition ?

They have very little nutrition in medical school. Ask them to look up dr esselstyn and dr ornish they show you can reverse heart disease and reverse blockages. Ran i to same problem. I found plant based cardiologist who completely understood.

rochelle,

Could you provide significantly more information regarding the reversal of heart disease and blockages - just by diet?

Seems a lot of medical professionals find their positions sketchy.

Ornish's sites says a lot ... do you believe this quote?

"Ornish Lifestyle Medicine has been scientifically proven to reverse the progression of even severe coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and high blood pressure as well as to slow, stop, or even reverse the progression of early-stage prostate cancer in a series of randomized controlled trials published in leading peer-reviewed journals.

We also found that changing lifestyle changes your genes—turning on protective genes and turning off genes that promote inflammation, oxidative stress, and oncogenes that promote prostate cancer, breast cancer, and colon cancer—over 500 genes in only 3 months. In addition, these lifestyle changes lengthen telomeres, the ends of our chromosomes that regulate aging, thereby beginning to reverse aging at a cellular level."

Dr. Esselstyn and Dr. Dean Ornish did show reversal of heart disease. This is true. Here is Dr. Esselstyn's site: https://www.dresselstyn.com/ He has a great book - I highly recommend - PREVENT AND REVERSE HEART DISEASE. You can watch a lot of their videos. here's one that is good - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVvWD2rjjq0

rochelle,

My point is this is not verified - but, many believe it to be just more unproven marketing.

Citing the very same people does not mean it is true.

If it were true, wouldn't every medical professional in the world be pushing?