Abstract

Background and aims: Vitamin K is essential for processes that inhibit vascular and valvular calcification, attributes of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVDs) and aortic stenosis (AS). Relationships between dietary vitamin K1 and K2 intakes, ASCVD and AS were explored.

Methods: In 112,111 participants from the UK Biobank without ASCVD or AS (median age 59.7 years, 57.3% female), dietary vitamin K1 (μg/day) and K2 (μgPKeq/day) intakes were calculated from Oxford WebQ 24-h dietary questionnaires, using vitamin K food composition databases. Associations with incident ASCVD, ASCVD subtypes and AS, obtained from self-reports, primary care data, hospital records and death registries, were examined using restricted cubic splines within multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models.

Results: Over a median follow-up of 10.5 years, 8696 ASCVD cases were recorded. Non-linear associations between vitamin K1 intakes and ASCVD were observed within multivariable-adjusted models (pnon-linearity≤0.01). Higher vitamin K1 intakes were associated with a 7-10% lower risk of ASCVD, with no advantage observed beyond moderate intakes (HRQ3vsQ1 0.90 [0.85-0.95]). Lower risk relationships were also found for ischemic heart disease (IHD), ischemic stroke and peripheral arterial disease but not AS. The highest vitamin K2 intakes were associated with a greater risk of incident ASCVD (HRQ5vsQ1 1.07 [1.01-1.14]), IHD and AS.

Conclusions: Among adults without prevalent ASCVD, those with higher dietary vitamin K1, but not K2, intakes had lower ASCVD risk. Positive associations with vitamin K2 may reflect food source confounding warranting further investigation. These findings reinforce the promotion of vitamin K1-rich vegetable consumption (e.g. spinach and broccoli) to support cardiovascular health.

Keywords

coronary heart disease, menaquinone, phylloquinone, stroke, vascular calcification, vitamin K

Document Type

Journal Article

Date of Publication

8-1-2026

Article Number

120837

E-ISSN

18791484

ISSN

00219150

Volume

419

PubMed ID

42485745

Publication Title

Atherosclerosis

Publisher

Elsevier

School

Nutrition and Health Innovation Research Institute / School of Medical and Health Sciences

RAS ID

100040

Funding Information

Funding from the Australian Government and the Government of Western Australia.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Dupuy, M., Li, C., Pokharel, P., Zhong, L., Parmenter, B. H., Radavelli-Bagatini, S., Via, J. D., Linneberg, A., Jakobsen, J., Kühn, T., Cassidy, A., Hodgson, J. M., Lewis, J. R., Sim, M., & Bondonno, N. P. (2026). Dietary vitamin K intakes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease incidence: Findings from the UK Biobank. Atherosclerosis, 419, 120837. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2026.120837

Download

Share

 
COinS
 

Link to publisher version (DOI)

10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2026.120837