Dietary intake of menaquinone is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease: the Rotterdam Study

Geleijnse JM, Vermeer C, Grobbee DE, et al. · The Journal of Nutrition

The observational study that separated K2 from K1 and started the menaquinone story: the top tertile of dietary menaquinone had a relative risk of coronary heart disease mortality of 0.43 (95% CI 0.24-0.77), all-cause mortality 0.74 (0.59-0.92) and severe aortic calcification 0.48 (0.32-0.71). Phylloquinone intake was related to none of these outcomes.

Population

Rotterdam Study participants with no history of myocardial infarction, followed from 1990-1993 to 2000

Intervention

Dietary menaquinone (K2) and phylloquinone (K1) intake; no supplement given

Comparator

Upper versus lower tertile of intake

Limitations

Observational and dietary-questionnaire based, so menaquinone intake tracks cheese and fermented-food patterns and everything that goes with them; residual confounding cannot be excluded; no joint outcomes.