Abstract
This review focuses on the importance of Vitamin K for bone metabolism and the vessel wall in terms of its effect on fracture risk and cardiovascular risk. Vitamin K is one of the fat-soluble vitamins.
Its basic function is to serve as a cofactor for an enzyme that catalyzes carboxylation of glutamic acid to γ-carboxyglutamate. This chemical reaction is essential for the proper activity of proteins involved in blood clotting, bone mineralization and inhibition of soft tissue calcification.
Vitamin K deficiency leads to impaired calcium metabolism in bone tissue and the vessel wall, causing the so-called calcification paradox. The article discusses the main sources of Vitamin K, methods for assessing its deficiency and options for Vitamin K supplementation.