The Study
Beneficial effects of one-year menaquinone-7 supplementation on vascular stiffness and blood pressure in post-menopausal women
This study is like a fair test where half the women took a vitamin pill and half took a fake pill, and then doctors checked if their blood vessels got more flexible. It shows the vitamin might help, but only in older women whose blood vessels were already stiff. It doesn't prove it stops heart attacks or helps everyone.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
After menopause, women’s arteries often get stiffer, raising heart disease risk. This study tested if a vitamin called MK-7 (a form of vitamin K2) could help keep arteries more flexible.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 578 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — reducing artery stiffening and blood pressure by this amount is clinically meaningful and may lower heart attack and stroke risk in high-risk post-menopausal women.
- 2Women taking 180 µg of MK-7 daily for a year had 40% less artery stiffening than those on placebo.
- 3Their blood pressure dropped 3–4.5%, and a key marker of artery damage (dp-ucMGP) fell by 13.4%.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
European Heart Journal
Year
2023
Authors
F. de Vries, K. Maresz, F. Machuron, J. Jeanne, L. Schurgers
Related Content
Claims (6)
Taking 180 micrograms of menaquinone-7 daily for one year results in a 40% smaller increase in arterial stiffness compared to placebo in post-menopausal women with elevated dp-ucMGP levels.
In post-menopausal women, taking menaquinone-7 supplements results in larger improvements in arterial flexibility for those who start with higher arterial stiffness, as measured by the b-stiffness index.
In post-menopausal women with high levels of dp-ucMGP, taking 180 micrograms of menaquinone-7 daily for one year lowers blood pressure in the arm and neck arteries by 3–4.5% compared to a placebo, with the largest drops seen in those with the stiffest arteries at the start.
Women after menopause have stiffer arteries and reduced blood vessel function compared to women before or during menopause, as shown by thicker artery walls, larger artery size, and faster pulse wave speed in the neck arteries.
Taking 180 micrograms of menaquinone-7 every day for one year lowers the level of dephosphorylated-undercarboxylated matrix Gla protein in the blood by 13.4% in post-menopausal women.
Taking 360 micrograms of vitamin K2 daily for two years leads to less buildup of calcium in the arteries than taking a placebo.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.