haidut
Member
In addition to its role in bone, brain, and endocrine health now we can add eyes to the list of tissues/organs that may benefit from vitamin K as well. Unfortunately, most studies are still trying to study vitamin K from the point of view of osteocalcin and carboxylation, which only explains a small portion of its effects. Its role as a quinone that can fill in for CoQ10 in respiration when there is CoQ10 deficiency or some step of the ETC is not working properly, likely explains most of the beneficial effects of vitamin K.
Inactive matrix Gla protein is a novel circulating biomarker predicting retinal arteriolar narrowing in humans
"...Active matrix Gla protein (MGP), a potent inhibitor of calcification in large arteries, protects against macrovascular complications. Recent studies suggested that active MGP helps maintaining the integrity of the renal and myocardial microcirculation, but its role in preserving the retinal microcirculation remains unknown. In 935 randomly recruited Flemish participants (mean age, 40.9 years; 50.3% women), we measured plasma desphospho-uncarboxylated MGP (dp–ucMGP), a marker of poor vitamin K status using an ELISA-based assay at baseline (1996–2010) and retinal microvascular diameters using IVAN software (Vasculomatic ala Nicola, version 1.1) including the central retinal arteriolar (CRAE) and venular (CRVE) equivalent and the arteriole-to-venule ratio (AVR) at follow-up (2008–2015). CRAE (P = 0.005) and AVR (P = 0.080) at follow-up decreased across tertiles of the dp–ucMGP distribution. In unadjusted models, for a doubling of dp–ucMGP at baseline, CRAE and AVR at follow-up respectively decreased by 1.40 µm (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.32 to 2.48; P = 0.011) and 0.006 (CI, 0.001 to 0.011; P = 0.016). In multivariable-adjusted models accounting for sex, baseline characteristics and follow-up duration, these estimates were −1.03 µm (CI, −1.96 to −0.11; P = 0.028) and −0.007 (CI, −0.011 to −0.002; P = 0.007). Additional adjustment for changes from baseline to follow-up in major baseline characteristics yielded as estimates −0.91 µm (CI, −1.82 to −0.01; P = 0.048) and −0.006 (95% CI, −0.011 to −0.001; P = 0.014), respectively. Circulating inactive dp–ucMGP is a long-term predictor of smaller retinal arteriolar diameter in the general population. Our observations highlight the possibility that vitamin K supplementation might promote retinal health."
Vitamin K, known for its arterial health benefits, may benefit the eyes as well
"...“MGP is abundantly expressed in the eye, where it takes part in preserving the structural integrity of the trabecular meshwork, the sclera, and the retinal ganglion cells,” they wrote, and considering that activation of MGP requires vitamin K, this led them to hypothesize a link between vitamin K intake and eye health. Participants in the study were part of a longitudinal cohort called FLEMENGHO, which started recruitment in 1985. As a longitudinal population study, the researchers’ collected measurements at the beginning of recruitment, and then collect them again after a certain amount of time. They then draw information from patterns observed in the changes. This study focused on collecting health data on Belgium’s Dutch-speaking population, and thus, they argued,“ our current findings in white Flemish cannot be extrapolated to other ethnicities.”
Inactive matrix Gla protein is a novel circulating biomarker predicting retinal arteriolar narrowing in humans
"...Active matrix Gla protein (MGP), a potent inhibitor of calcification in large arteries, protects against macrovascular complications. Recent studies suggested that active MGP helps maintaining the integrity of the renal and myocardial microcirculation, but its role in preserving the retinal microcirculation remains unknown. In 935 randomly recruited Flemish participants (mean age, 40.9 years; 50.3% women), we measured plasma desphospho-uncarboxylated MGP (dp–ucMGP), a marker of poor vitamin K status using an ELISA-based assay at baseline (1996–2010) and retinal microvascular diameters using IVAN software (Vasculomatic ala Nicola, version 1.1) including the central retinal arteriolar (CRAE) and venular (CRVE) equivalent and the arteriole-to-venule ratio (AVR) at follow-up (2008–2015). CRAE (P = 0.005) and AVR (P = 0.080) at follow-up decreased across tertiles of the dp–ucMGP distribution. In unadjusted models, for a doubling of dp–ucMGP at baseline, CRAE and AVR at follow-up respectively decreased by 1.40 µm (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.32 to 2.48; P = 0.011) and 0.006 (CI, 0.001 to 0.011; P = 0.016). In multivariable-adjusted models accounting for sex, baseline characteristics and follow-up duration, these estimates were −1.03 µm (CI, −1.96 to −0.11; P = 0.028) and −0.007 (CI, −0.011 to −0.002; P = 0.007). Additional adjustment for changes from baseline to follow-up in major baseline characteristics yielded as estimates −0.91 µm (CI, −1.82 to −0.01; P = 0.048) and −0.006 (95% CI, −0.011 to −0.001; P = 0.014), respectively. Circulating inactive dp–ucMGP is a long-term predictor of smaller retinal arteriolar diameter in the general population. Our observations highlight the possibility that vitamin K supplementation might promote retinal health."
Vitamin K, known for its arterial health benefits, may benefit the eyes as well
"...“MGP is abundantly expressed in the eye, where it takes part in preserving the structural integrity of the trabecular meshwork, the sclera, and the retinal ganglion cells,” they wrote, and considering that activation of MGP requires vitamin K, this led them to hypothesize a link between vitamin K intake and eye health. Participants in the study were part of a longitudinal cohort called FLEMENGHO, which started recruitment in 1985. As a longitudinal population study, the researchers’ collected measurements at the beginning of recruitment, and then collect them again after a certain amount of time. They then draw information from patterns observed in the changes. This study focused on collecting health data on Belgium’s Dutch-speaking population, and thus, they argued,“ our current findings in white Flemish cannot be extrapolated to other ethnicities.”
