menaquinone-6 and Dementia

A high incidence of fractures, particularly of the hip, represents an important problem in patients with AD, who are prone to falls and may have osteoporosis. The odds ratio reported for fracture prevalence between elderly persons with and without AD is 6.9. We previously demonstrated that deficiency of 25-hydroxyvitamin D due to sunlight deprivation and vitamin K deficiency due to malnutrition contributed to reduced bone mineral density in patients with AD and were associated with a high risk of hip fracture. Treatment with menatetrenone, risedronate or regular sunlight exposure are safe and effective in increasing bone mass and reducing the risk of hip fracture in patients with AD.

Topics: Accidental Falls; Bone Density; Dementia; Etidronic Acid; Hip Fractures; Humans; Hyperparathyroidism, Secondary; Osteoporosis; Risedronic Acid; Risk; Risk Factors; Sunlight; Vitamin D Deficiency; Vitamin K 2; Vitamin K Deficiency

Several lives of evidence indicate a protective effect of vitamin K against osteoporosis. Epidemiological studies showed that low vitamin K intake is associated with the increased risk of osteoporosis. Vitamin K2 (menatetrenone, MK-4) has been clinically used in the treatment of patients with osteoporosis in Japan, Korea and Thailand. Previous studies demonstrated the efficacy of vitamin K2 (45 mg/day) to prevent bone loss and reduce the rate of vertebral fractures, although a large, randomized intervention study is anticipated to provide more detailed evidence. Recently, vitamin K2 has been shown to reduce the progression of hepatocarcinoma. Moreover, it has been proposed that vitamin K may also have beneficial effects to prevent atherogenesis. The clarification of molecular mechanisms by which vitamin K2 exerts these salutary effects deserve further investigations.

Topics: Animals; Arteriosclerosis; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Dementia; Evidence-Based Medicine; Humans; Liver Neoplasms; Osteoporosis; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Spinal Fractures; Vitamin K 2