Cardiovascular death: 9 percent due to hypertension or air pollution, 7 percent: low Vitamin K2 or smoking

Created October 2016

Cardiovascular Disease Death Before Age 65 in 168 Countries Correlated Statistically with Biometrics, Socioeconomic Status, Tobacco, Gender, Exercise, Macronutrients, and Vitamin K

Cureus 8(8): e748. DOI 10.7759/cureus.748

David K. Cundiff 1 dkcundiff@whistleblowerdoctor.org , Paul S. Agutter 2

  1. Internal Medicine, LA County + USC Medical Center (Retired) 2. Formerly with Theoretical Medicne and Biology Group, Formerly University of Edinburgh
Low Vitamin K2 is the most easily reduced risk factor Vitamin D and Magnesium also PREVENT Cardiovascular diseases All three may also TREAT cardivascular diseases * Overview Cardiovascular and vitamin D * Overview Vitamin K and Vitamin D * Hypertension 1.7 times more likely if low Vitamin D AND K – Sept 2016 * Vitamin D Cofactors in a nutshell includes Magnesium Vitamin K2 * Vitamin D is not a cardiovascular fad like Vitamins C, E, Folic Acid, selenium, beta-caroteen, etc. – Circulation Nov 2013 * Magnesium prevents cardiovascular events – Meta-analysis March 2013 * Major Heart attacks occur 40 percent more often if vitamin D lower than 7 ng – Feb 2013 * Smoking reduces vitamin D - many studies Pages listed in BOTH the categories Vitamin K and Cardiovascular {category} Pages listed in BOTH the categories Magnesium and Cardiovascular {category} USDA Database for K2 content of foods

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Background

Nutrition researchers recently recognized that deficiency of vitamin K2 (menaquinone: MK-4- MK-13) is widespread and contributes to cardiovascular disease (CVD). The deficiency of vitamin K2 or vitamin K inhibition with warfarin leads to calcium deposition in the arterial blood vessels.

Methods

Using publicly available sources, we collected food commodity availability data and derived nutrient profiles including vitamin K2 for people from 168 countries . We also collected female and male cohort data on early death from CVD (ages 15-64 years), insufficient physical activity, tobacco, biometric CVD risk markers, socioeconomic risk factors for CVD, and gender. The outcome measures included (1) univariate correlations of early death from CVD with each risk factor, (2) a multiple regression-derived formula relating early death from CVD (dependent variable) to macronutrient profile, vitamin K1 and K2 and other risk factors (independent variables), (3) for each risk factor appearing in the multiple regression formula, the portion of CVD risk attributable to that factor, and (4) similar univariate and multivariate analyses of body mass index (BMI), fasting blood sugar (FBS) (simulated from diabetes prevalence), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and cholesterol/ HDL-C ratio (simulated from serum cholesterol) (dependent variables) and dietary and other risk factors (independent variables).

Results

Female and male cohorts in countries that have vitamin K2 < 5pg per 2000 kcal/day per capita (n = 70) had about 2.2 times the rate of early CVD deaths as people in countries with > 24 pg/day of vitamin K2 per 2000 kcal/day (n = 72). A multiple regression-derived formula relating early death from CVD to dietary nutrients and other risk factors accounted for about 50% of the variance between cohorts in early CVD death. The attributable risks of the variables in the CVD early death formula were:

  • too much alcohol (0.38%),

  • too little vitamin K2 (6.95%),

  • tobacco (6.87%),

  • high blood pressure (9.01%),

  • air pollution (9.15%),

  • early childhood death (3.64%),

  • poverty (7.66%), and

  • male gender (6.13%)

Conclusions from PDF

These multiple-regression equations relating CVD-associated outcomes to diet and other risk

factors should be confirmed with prospective studies on individuals.

Because of these findings, health regulatory agencies of countries should more inclusively

measure vitamin K2 levels (MK-4–MK-13) in foods and should designate levels for adequate

intakes (AIs) for vitamin K2. In wealthy countries, given the health concerns with excessive

meat, dairy, and eggs (e.g. obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cancer), vitamin K2 should be optimally

boosted from fermented plants containing long chain menaquinones rather than from animal

products. Likewise, for people in poor countries, increasing the intake of fermented foods such

as sauerkraut, miso, and natto would be the most cost-effective and healthful way to boost

vitamin K2 to adequate levels.

Tags: Cardiovascular Vitamin K