K2 Benefits Hips, Bones in Postmenopausal Women

MAASTRICHT, Netherlands—Menatetrenone, a synthetic vitamin K2 (as MenaQ7™, PL Thomas & Co. and Natto Pharma) showed significant potential benefits for bone health in postmenopausal women; supplementation was shown to completely preserve hip bone strength during a three-year intervention. The double blind, placebo-controlled study, published in the journal Osteoporosis International (ePub ahead of print, Feb. 2007), was conducted at the VitaK and the Cardiovascular Research Institute (CARIM), both at Maastricht University, Netherlands. The 325 postmenopausal women received either placebo or 45 mg/d of MenaQ7 for three years. Bone mineral content (BMC) and hip geometry were assessed by DXA. Bone strength indices were calculated from DXA-bone mineral density (BMD), femoral neck width (FNW) and hip axis length (HAL). MenaQ7 did not affect the DXA-BMD, but BMC and the FNW increased relative to placebo. In the treated group hip bone strength remained unchanged during the three-year intervention period, whereas with placebo, bone strength decreased significantly. Researchers concluded MenaQ7 helps maintain bone strength at the site of the femoral neck in postmenopausal women by improving BMC and FNW, with little effect on DXA-BMD.

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