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Vascular Biology has published a new paper examining the well-known and
alternative pathways of Vitamin K, adding to the substantial argument that
Vitamin K2 can greatly impact cardiovascular health. The paper was funded by a
grant awarded to NattoPharma’s International Research Network by the European
Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie
Sklodowska-Curie grant.
“NattoPharma has a long history of funding research and participating in
collaborative research such as was provided in the Horizon 2020 grant. The body
of evidence supporting cardiovascular health benefits continues to grow and we
believe will help expand both awareness and consumer demand for Vitamin K2,”
says CEO in NattoPharma, Kjetil Ramsøy.
Dr. Hogne Vik, NattoPharma Chief Medical Officer, explains; “According to at
least five different epidemiological studies, Vitamin K2 - and not K1 - is
cardio-protective. That is why the majority of new clinical trials, which are
focused on cardiovascular health, are performed using K2 as MK-7. Moreover,
Vitamin K2 was shown to be not only more potent form than Vitamin K1, but also
the compound that possesses additional biological activity (not present in the
case of K1).”
Aortic aneurysm is a vascular disease whereby the ECM (extracellular matrix) of
a blood vessel degenerates, leading to dilation and eventually vessel wall
rupture. Recently, it was shown that calcification of the vessel wall is
involved in both the initiation and progression of aneurysms. To that end, the
authors of the paper, “Role of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotypic Switching
and Calcification in Aortic Aneurysm Formation: Involvement of Vitamin K
-Dependent Processes”, summarize the current literature on vascular smooth
muscle cell phenotypic switching and vascular calcification in relation to
aneurysm. Moreover, they address the role of vitamin K and vitamin K-dependent
proteins (VKDPs) that are involved in vascular calcification and aneurysm.
The review highlighted well-known and alternative pathways of vitamin K
activity:
. Vitamin K is known to activate Matrix Gla Protein (MGP), by which it inhibits
vascular calcification.
. Vitamin K has the ability to scavenge free radicals, reduce oxidative stress,
and decrease vascular calcification.
“Therefore, it is tempting to postulate that vitamin K deficiency plays a role
in aneurysm formation,” the authors conclude. “Vitamin K supplementation holds
the potential to lower the risk of aortic aneurysms and improve cardiovascular
outcome.”
The paper is significant because it continues to build upon the argument that
Vitamin K2 is an essential nutrient for protecting cardiovascular health, while
also opening up new areas of benefits, according to Dr. Vik.
“Once again, Vitamin K is known to activate MGP, which inhibits vascular
calcification,” says Vik. “This new paper also finds vitamin K has the ability
to scavenge free radicals, reduce oxidative stress, and decrease calcification.
We support the authors’ supposition that Vitamin K deficiency plays a role in
aneurysm formation. Clearly, Vitamin K2 supplementation holds the potential to
lower the risk of aortic aneurysms and improve cardiovascular outcomes.”
The review paper is the result of the Horizon 2020 grant awarded to
NattoPharma’s International Research Network, coordinated by Queen Mary
University of London. Other partners of the network are four highly ranked
research university departments in Europe [University of Maastricht, University
College Dublin (part of the national University of Ireland), Ludvig-Maximilians
-Universitaet Muenchen, and Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm] and the
independent life science medical research charity in the UK, the Medical
Research Council Technology. The grant NattoPharma participates in is called
“EVOLuTION” (European Vascular Interventions and Therapeutic Innovation
Network), and the money will be utilized to provide training for 11 early stage
researchers (ESRs) in the management of chronic diseases in the field of
cardiovascular disease.
Reference:
Petsophonsakul P, Furmanik M, Forsythe R, Dweck M, Schurink GW, Natour E,
Reutelingsperger C, Jacobs M, Mees B,
Schurgers L. Role of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotypic Switching and
Calcification in Aortic Aneurysm Formation: Involvement of Vitamin K-Dependent
Processes. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2019;39:00-00. DOI:
10.1161/ATVBAHA.119.312787.
About NattoPharma and MenaQ7®
NattoPharma ASA, based in Norway, is the supplement industry world leader in
vitamin K2 research and development. NattoPharma is the exclusive international
supplier of MenaQ7® Vitamin K2 as MK-7, the best documented, vitamin K2 as
menaquinone-7 (MK-7) with guaranteed actives and stability, clinical
substantiation, and international patents granted and pending; and now the new
MenaQ7® Full Spectrum, which delivers menaquinones 6, 7, and 9. The company has
a multi-year research and development program to substantiate and discover the
health benefits of Vitamin K2 for applications in the marketplace for functional
food and dietary supplements, in addition to exclusive access to the research
efforts of its pharmaceutical arm, Kaydence Pharma AS (est. 2017), outside of
the pharmaceutical domain. With a global presence, the company established its
North American subsidiary, NattoPharma USA, Inc., in Edison, NJ, and NattoPharma
R&D Ltd. in Cyprus. For more information, visit www.nattopharma.com or
www.menaq7.com.
For more information, please contact:
Kate Quackenbush, NattoPharma Director of Communications
P: 609-643-0749 x 220; E: kate.quackenbush@nattopharma.com
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