Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging Site Logo
ARS Home About Us Helptop nav spacerContact Us En Espanoltop nav spacer
Printable VersionPrintable Version     E-mail this pageE-mail this page
Agricultural Research Service United States Department of Agriculture
Search
  Advanced Search
Programs and Projects
Subjects of Investigation
 

Research Project: VITAMIN K AND VITAMIN K-DEPENDENT PROTEIN DURING AGING

Location: Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging

Title: Association of Dietary and Biochemical Measures of Vitamin K with Quantitative Ultrasound of the Heel in Men and Women

Authors
item Mclean, Robert - HEBREW SENIORLIFE RESEARC
item Booth, Sarah
item Kiel, Douglas - HEBREW SENIORLIFE RESEARC
item Broe, Kerry - HEBREW SENIORLIFE RESEARC
item Gagnon, David - BOSTON UNIV SCH PUB HLTH
item Tucker, Katherine - TUFTS/HNRCA
item Cupples, L - BOSTON UNIV SCH PUB HLTH
item Hannon, Marian - HEBREW SENIORLIFE RESEARC

Submitted to: Osteoporosis International
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: September 29, 2005
Publication Date: April 1, 2006
Reprint URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16397819&query_hl=4&itool=pubmed_docsum
Citation: Mclean, R.R., Booth, S.L., Kiel, D.P., Broe, K.E., Gagnon, D.R., Tucker, K.L., Cupples, L.A., Hannon, M.T. 2006. Association of dietary and biochemical measures of vitamin k with quantitative ultrasound of the heel in men and women. Osteoporosis International. 17(4):600-7.

Interpretive Summary: Low vitamin K nutritional status is associated with increased fracture risk but is inconsistently related to the classic measure of bone mineral density (BMD). This suggests that vitamin K may affect components of bone strength that are not captured by BMD. Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) is a technique that provides information on the mechanical properties of bone, and may serve as a potential alternative to BMD for gaining insight to the relation between vitamin K and bone strength. We therefore examined the association of vitamin K nutritional status as measured in several different ways, and QUS in men and women who participated in the Framingham Osteoporosis Study. QUS was measured in 583 men and 768 women, whose average age was 59 years old. Vitamin K nutritional status was assessed by biochemical measures of vitamin K and dietary vitamin K intake. Among the men, the higher levels of vitamin K in the blood were associated with higher measures of QUS. Dietary vitamin K intake, however, was not associated with QUS measures. Among women, none of the measures of vitamin K nutritional status were associated with QUS. Although QUS is associated with vitamin K nutritional status in men, the observed relation was not consistent among all the participants. These findings suggest that QUS may not be the best method for elucidating the role of vitamin K on the skeleton.

Technical Abstract: Low vitamin K nutritional status is associated with increased fracture risk but is inconsistently related to bone mineral density (BMD), suggesting that vitamin K may affect components of bone strength not measured by BMD, such as microarchitecture. Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) may assess trabecular orientation, providing information on the mechanical properties of bone and may serve as a potential alternative to BMD for gaining insight to the relation between vitamin K and bone strength. We therefore examined the association of vitamin K nutritional status measured in several different ways with QUS in men and women who participated in the Framingham Osteoporosis Study. From 1996 to 2001, broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and speed of sound (SOS) of the calcaneus (heel) were measured in 583 men and 768 women (mean age 59 years). Vitamin K nutritional status was assessed between 1995 and 1998 by three separate measures: plasma phylloquinone concentration, serum percent undercarboxylated osteocalcin (%ucOC) and dietary vitamin K intake. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to calculate regression coefficients in order to evaluate the associations between both measures of QUS and each measure of vitamin K nutritional status. Regression analyses were conducted separately for subgroups of participants defined by gender, menopause status and current use of estrogen replacement medication. Among the men, plasma phylloquinone concentration was positively associated with both BUA (p<0.01) and SOS (p=0.02) of the heel. Neither serum %ucOC nor dietary vitamin K intake, however, was associated with QUS measures. Among women, none of the three measures of vitamin K nutritional status were associated with either BUA or SOS, regardless of menopause status or use of estrogen. Although QUS is associated with vitamin K nutritional status in men, the observed relation was not consistent among subgroups of participants. These findings suggest that QUS may not be the best method for elucidating the role of vitamin K on the skeleton.

   

 
Project Team
Wilhelm, Kathi
Booth, Sarah - Tufts University
 
Publications
   Publications
 
Related National Programs
  Human Nutrition (107)
 
 
Last Modified: 05/13/2009
ARS Home | USDA.gov | Site Map | Policies and Links 
FOIA | Accessibility Statement | Privacy Policy | Nondiscrimination Statement | Information Quality | USA.gov | White House