Dietary Vitamin K and Association with Hepatic Vitamin K Status in a Yup'ik Study Population from Southwestern Alaska

cope We investigated the relationship between dietary vitamin K and plasma PIVKA-II concentration, a biomarker of hepatic vitamin K status, in a Yup'ik study population in southwestern Alaska. Methods and results A total of 659 male and female, self-reported Yup'ik people, ≥ 14 years of age, were enrolled. Blood was collected for genotyping and plasma PIVKA-II biomarker analysis. A Yup'ik-specific dietary food frequency questionnaire was used to assess vitamin K intake. Among the participants, 22% reported not consuming foods rich in vitamin K during the past year and 36% had a PIVKA-II concentration ≥ 2 ng/mL, indicating vitamin K insufficiency. The odds of an elevated PIVKA-II concentration were 33% lower in individuals reporting any versus no consumption of vitamin K rich foods. The association was significant after adjusting for CYP4F2*3 genotype. Tundra greens were high in vitamin K1 content, but an exploratory analysis suggested that subsistence meat sources had a greater effect on vitamin K status. Conclusions A substantial proportion of the Yup'ik population exhibits vitamin K insufficiency, which was associated with low consumption of vitamin K rich foods and which might affect an individual's response to anticoagulant drugs such as warfarin that target the vitamin K cycle. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved