People with low levels of vitamin K have less healthy lungs: Study

The study shows that people with low levels of Vitamin K are likely to suffer from asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and wheezing.

According to a study published in ERJ Open Research people with low levels of vitamin K in their blood are more likely to have impaired lung function and to suffer from asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and wheezing.

People with low levels of vitamin K have less healthy lungs: Study(Shutterstock)

Vitamin K is found in leafy green vegetables, vegetable oils and cereal grains. It plays a role in blood clotting, and so helps the body to heal wounds, but researchers know very little about its role in lung health.

Researchers say their new findings do not alter the current advice on vitamin K intake, but they do support further research to see if some people could benefit from taking vitamin K supplements.

The study was by team of Danish researchers at Copenhagen University Hospital and the University of Copenhagen. It involved a group of 4,092 people aged between 24 and 77 years living in Copenhagen.

“On their own, our findings do not alter current recommendations for vitamin K intake, but they do suggest that we need more research on whether some people, such as those with lung disease, could benefit from vitamin K supplementation.”

The research team are already working on a large clinical trial comparing vitamin K supplementation with a placebo (dummy pill) to look at any effects on heart and bone health in the general population (the InterVitaminK trial). Based on their new results, they will now include analyses of lung function in this trial.

Dr Apostolos Bossios from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden is Secretary of the European Respiratory Society’s assembly on Airway diseases, asthma, COPD, and chronic cough, and was not involved in the research. He said: “This study suggests that people with low levels of vitamin K in their blood may have poorer lung function. Further research will help us understand more about this link and see whether increasing vitamin K can improve lung function or not.

“In the meantime, we can all try to eat a healthy, balanced diet to support our overall health, and we can protect our lungs by not smoking, taking part in exercise and doing all we can to cut air pollution.”

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.