Has anyone seen a reduction in their CAC score from taking vitamin K2?

Posted by hikerguy62 @hikerguy62, Mar 31, 2023

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

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Heart & Blood Health Support Group.

@jfching

I just removed the https in the link I posted above. Hope this helps people who need the statins.

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At no point does this fellow say his CAC score had been reduced ... he says "artery age" ... not the same, but related.

He provides no evidence re why or how ... and, here's the kicker, no one and no study has shown a decrease in CAC score ... ALL of us want there to be a way to decrease the amount of calcium in our hearts ...

From MESA ...

"Arterial Age Calculator

Overview

Arterial age provides a convenient transformation of coronary artery calcium (CAC) from Agatston units to age units, to a scale more easily appreciated by both patients and treating physicians. The arterial age for a participant is the age at which the estimated CHD risk (modeled as a function of age) is the same as that for the observed CAC score. Arterial age is then the risk-equivalent of coronary artery calcium. This measure can be considered a more easily understandable version of the CAC score (e.g. you are 55 years old, but your arteries are more consistent with an arterial age of 65 years).

This tool will calculate an estimated arterial age (and 95% confidence interval) given a CAC score input by the user. Optionally, one can also provide the observed age, gender, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, smoking status, systolic blood pressure and use of anti-hypertensive medications and obtain two versions of estimated 10-year CHD risk based on the Framingham (NCEP) point based equations: one using original age, and the other using estimated arterial age. This does not apply to diabetics."

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I watched. So statin and niacin and salmon every day? Does he make $ from this? Sounds fishy.

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There is a wonderful cardiologist on YouTube named Dr. Pradip Jamnadas who talks about the benefits of K2 as MK-7. He has lots of videos on cardiovascular health and what you can do that the doctors don't tell you. He talks about the why's and hows. I started my regimen today. Good luck!

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Another youtube doctor?

"...what you can do that the doctors don't tell you."

So, your doctors have been hiding the truth?

Sort of a Cardiovascular X Files?

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Taking a statin will harden the calcium you have in your heart. The hope is that it makes it more difficult to break off which would help avoid an infarction or stroke. It also may increase your CAC numbers but not in a bad way. I have taken K2 since I found my CAC score to be high. Unfortunately another CAC test exposes me to unwanted radiation. It really would be for peace of mind because the remedy would remain the same. You don’t mention your cholesterol levels but I am guessing you will be put on a statin. There is a good book called “beating the heart attack gene”. I suggest you read it, even though it isn’t in your genes. Lots of really good info.

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Any studies with estimates as to how much it increases the score? 10%, 50%? We need a lot more info about Calcium Scores. My cardiologist said my 700 score isn't alarming as I'm 65 and you will get calcium. But my sister-in-law is heavy, a smoker, drinks a lot, and doesn't eat healthy. She got a 6 score (she is 58).
I'm following up with nuclear stress test, echocardigram including neck and abdomen VASC tests. Plan is to lower LDL < 50 with statins an zetia pill or injections. Anyone else on this journey?

Thanks for book - 10 years old which is ancient for medical. Is he releasing an update?
I'm taking K2 now and then but wonder if helping or hurting. Cheese is high in K2 but you shouldn't eat cheese. This cardiologist said only a few eggs a week but eggs have K2 and other wonderful benefits.
When it comes to food NO ONE is testing grass fed beef, organic foods - pasture raised vs. factory farmed. Food is lumped into one category. Really - pesticides have no affect on the heart/body? What about PFAS?

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From my research - and I am not a medical professional - CAC scores never go down, only up.

All sorts of folks try all sorts of things - some potentially dangerous - but no one has ever, to my knowledge, reported a reduction in CAC scores.

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Hi All.

Interesting article on the use of K2, what caught my eye is for those in the >400 category, I am not.
https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacadv.2023.100643
Conclusions
The present study showed no significant effect of vitamin K2 and D supplementation on CAC progression in a population with a high AVC and CAC score yet no known ischemic heart disease. In a subanalysis, high-risk patients with CAC ≥400 AU had a significantly lower progression of CAC. This study presents novel, interesting, and hypothesis-generating findings that need to be further investigated in future studies.

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@tenclawz

I have been looking for years to find something to
remove plaque safely. So far, no luck. I will check up on the k2.
My Doctor found my calcium in the blood and sent me for a bone density test which showed that the calcium was being pulled from the bones into the blood.
Now I am on a medicine to help slow the removal of calcium, take once a week. Also Doc said be careful and not fall because of weaker bones. I have never heard of a score of CAC, whatever that is.

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Have they looked at your Para Thyroid levels?

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I have moderate aortic stenosis. My Cardiologist instructed me NOT to take Vit D3. I was just recently diagnosed and doing some reading on it. I have been thinking about starting K2 but not with D3.

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