Skip to main content
ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #237568
Title: Cognitive status and vitamin K status in older men and women

Author
item TRUONG, JENNIFER - JM USDA HNRCA @ TUFTS
item SCOTT, TAMMY - TUFTS UNIVERSITY
item YOSHIDA, MAKIKO - TUFTS UNIVERSITY
item SHEA, KYLA M - WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY
item Booth, Sarah

Submitted to: Journal of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/5/2008
Publication Date: 4/28/2009
Citation: Truong, J.T., Scott, T., Yoshida, M., Shea, K., Booth, S.L. 2009. Cognitive status and vitamin K status in older men and women [abstract]. Journal of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. No. 566.2.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Vitamin K has been implicated in the regulation of sphingolipid metabolism. In rats, vitamin K deficiency decreases sphingolipid concentrations, resulting in changes in behavior, but not short-term memory. The association between vitamin K intake and cognition in humans is not well studied. In 379 men and women (60-80 y, 59% F) participating in a randomized controlled trial to assess the effect of 3-year vitamin K supplementation (500 ug phylloquinone/day) on bone mineral density, we compared cognitive function by Trail Making Tests A and B and the Digit Symbol-Coding Test (DSCT) between those receiving vitamin K vs. control. There were no significant differences in medication use known to alter cognitive function (i.e. statins and psychotropic medications) between groups. There was a non-significant trend for a group*baseline vitamin K status interaction (p=0.054) ( 0.5 mmol/L) for results on the DSCT, so stratified analyses were conducted. There was no significant difference in all three cognitive function tests between the control and the vitamin K group, even after adjustment for age, sex, education, physical activity and alcohol intake. In this cohort of older, relatively healthy adults, vitamin K supplementation in amounts achieved in diet did not confer additional benefits on cognitive function. Research support: NIA A914759 & USDA ARS (cooperative agreement 58-1950-7-707)