Does vitamin K supplementation affect serum calcification propensity and arterial stiffness in vitamin K-deficient kidney transplant recipients?
Vitamin K2, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (Am J Transplant 2023, PMID 36695702) — vitamin K supplementation did not significantly affect calcification propensity (change in T50 vs baseline +2.3 ± 27.4 minutes for vitamin K vs +0.8 ± 34.4 minutes for placebo; P=.88). Vitamin K supplementation in kidney transplant recipients improved vitamin K status and prevented arterial stiffness progression, but did not change calcification propensity.
Source: Am J Transplant 2023, PMID 36695702 ↗ · Research map · How Magellan grades evidence · evidence confidence: high
Am J Transplant · 2023 · PMID 36695702 · DOI 10.1016/j.ajt.2022.12.015
Vitamin K supplementation in kidney transplant recipients improved vitamin K status and prevented arterial stiffness progression, but did not change calcification propensity.
The question
Does vitamin K supplementation affect serum calcification propensity and arterial stiffness in vitamin K-deficient kidney transplant recipients?
What they tested
Vitamin K deficiency likely contributes to progressive vascular calcification and stiffness in kidney transplant recipients, suggesting that supplementation might improve these outcomes.
How they did it
This was a single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 40 vitamin K-deficient kidney transplant recipients. Participants were randomized 1:1 to receive either vitamin K2 (menaquinone-7, 360 μg/day) or placebo for 12 weeks. The primary endpoint was serum calcification propensity (T50), and secondary endpoints included arterial stiffness (pulse wave velocity [PWV]) and vitamin K status (dp-ucMGP).
What they found
Vitamin K supplementation did not significantly affect calcification propensity (change in T50 vs baseline +2.3 ± 27.4 minutes for vitamin K vs +0.8 ± 34.4 minutes for placebo; P= .88). However, it prevented the progression of PWV (change vs baseline -0.06 ± 0.26 m/s for vitamin K vs +0.27 ± 0.43 m/s for placebo; P= .010). Vitamin K status significantly improved with supplementation (change in dp-ucMGP vs baseline -385 pmol/L for vitamin K vs +39 pmol/L for placebo; P< .001), though most patients remained vitamin K-deficient.
| Vitamin K Group | -0.06 | |
|---|---|---|
| Placebo Group | 0.27 |
Vitamin K supplementation resulted in a decrease in pulse wave velocity, while the placebo group experienced an increase.
What it means
Vitamin K supplementation did not alter serum calcification propensity but prevented the progression of arterial stiffness in vitamin K-deficient kidney transplant recipients. This suggests that vitamin K may have vascular effects independent of calciprotein particles.
Limitations
The study was a single-center trial and, despite improved vitamin K status, most patients remained vitamin K-deficient, indicating that the dose or duration might not have been sufficient to fully correct the deficiency or impact calcification propensity. The abstract also suggests the need for longer-term intervention studies.
The paper at a glance
| Title | Effect of vitamin K supplementation on arterial stiffness in vitamin K-deficient kidney transplant recipients |
|---|---|
| Journal | Am J Transplant |
| Year | 2023 |
| PMID | 36695702 ↗ |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.ajt.2022.12.015 ↗ |
| Topic | Cardiovascular & vascular aging |
Read the source: PubMed record (authors, abstract, full citation) ↗ · Publisher via doi.org ↗
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Vitamin K2 (MK-7)
In humans, MK-7 supplementation consistently improves vitamin K-status biomarkers — lowering circulating dephospho-uncarboxylated MGP by about half and markedly reducing undercarboxylated osteocalcin — and one well-run three-year randomized trial in healthy postmenopausal women found modestly improved arterial…
Vitamin K2 (menaquinone) is a fat-soluble vitamin obtained from fermented foods such as natto and some…
Research describes the compound or intervention studied. It is not a claim about any specific product.
Molecules & mechanisms in this paper
Each of these is named in the paper’s own words above. Open the monograph for the full mechanism and its other citations.
Cite this page
These citations point at this summary. To cite the original paper with its full author list, use the PubMed record or doi.org.
Magellan Longevity. (2026). Does vitamin K supplementation affect serum calcification propensity and arterial stiffness in vitamin K-deficient kidney transplant recipients? [Plain-English summary of Am J Transplant 2023, PMID 36695702, DOI 10.1016/j.ajt.2022.12.015]. Magellan Longevity. https://magellanlongevity.com/study/d36695702.html@misc{magellan_d36695702,
title = {Does vitamin K supplementation affect serum calcification propensity and arterial stiffness in vitamin K-deficient kidney transplant recipients?},
author = {{Magellan Longevity}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://magellanlongevity.com/study/d36695702.html}},
note = {Plain-English summary of PubMed PMID 36695702; DOI 10.1016/j.ajt.2022.12.015; Am J Transplant 2023. Reviewed by Gabriel Radu, DO},
urldate = {2026-08-11}
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