Balchem’s K2Vital Delta slows coronary calcification by 21% in clinical trial
Key takeaways
- A trial showed that Balchem’s K2Vital Delta slowed CAC progression by 21% in a two-year clinical trial involving 398 participants.
- The researchers found that supplementation reduced calcification progression in both men and women with CAC.
- The findings strengthen the scientific evidence base for the ingredient, supporting supplement brands developing science-backed healthy aging solutions.
Balchem’s K2 MK-7 (menaquinone-7) and vitamin D ingredient, K2Vital Delta, has been shown to slow down the progression of coronary artery calcification (CAC) by 21% in a new clinical trial.
The multicenter Danish Coronary Decalcification (DANCODE) carried out the study for two years using Balchem’s K2Vital Delta ingredient. The study is touted as the largest published clinical trial on the ingredient so far, including 398 participants.
Balchem says the new findings add to the body of evidence showing vitamin K2 and vitamin D support long-term health when combined.
Principal investigator of the study, Axel Diederichsen, professor at Odense University Hospital, Denmark, comments: “Vitamin K2 MK-7 in its all-trans form activates matrix Gla protein, which helps direct calcium to where it is needed in the body.”
“In this study, the reduction in calcification progression was accompanied by a marked fall in the inactive form of matrix Gla protein, which tells us the supplementation reached the pathway it was aiming for.”
Building on scientific evidence
Published in Circulation, the DANCODE study builds on previous findings from an Aortic Valve Decalcification (AVADEC) trial, which showed that the vitamin combination slows CAC progression, which is linked to heart and cardiovascular disease, for men suffering severe coronary calcification.
The participants were given a combination of 720 µg daily of vitamin K2 MK-7 and 25 µg daily of vitamin D3 or a placebo for two years.The new study found that the ingredient is beneficial for both men and women. It was conducted at three Danish hospitals on patients with an average age of 71. Their minimum CAC score was 400 Agatston units (AU) — the standard clinical measure for severe calcification.
The participants were given a combination of 720 µg daily of vitamin K2 MK-7 and 25 µg daily of vitamin D3 or a placebo for two years.
The researchers then followed up after the study period and measured calcification with a CT scan, finding that it had advanced in both groups, which they say was to be expected. However, the progression was slower in the group receiving the supplement compared to the placebo group.
The study data showed a mean increase of 196 AU in the supplement group and 248 AU in the placebo group, representing a 21% relative reduction in calcification progression, shares Balchem. It says these findings support supplement brands in building consumer trust in science-backed solutions for healthy aging and heart health.
Trygve Bergeland, nutrition science director at Balchem, comments: “By working with hospitals and universities, we aim to help build the global evidence base behind vitamin K2. In fact, K2Vital is the most studied vitamin K2 MK-7 in the last five years, with more participants than all other vitamin K2 manufacturers combined. We’re excited to keep up this momentum with continued investment in the partnerships and standards that drive vitamin K2 science forward.”
The K2Vital Delta is the “first and only patented vitamin K2 MK-7 to be micro-encapsulated in special double-coated beadlets, ensuring complete stability in most environments,” Balchem previously told Nutrition Insight.
