Vitamin K status and inflammation are associated with cognition in older Irish adults

Abstract

Studies have shown associations between reduced vitamin K status and poor cognitive function. However, despite this apparent link, direct studies measuring cognitive function, vitamin K status and inflammation are lacking. In the current study, The ELDERMET cohort was investigated to identify associations between cognition, vitamin K status and inflammation. The primary aim of the ELDERMET study was to investigate the relationship between gut bacteria, diet, lifestyle and health in 500 older Irish adults. Significant differences in serum phylloquinone, dietary phylloquinone and inflammatory markers were found across varying levels of cognitive function, after controlling for sex, age, body mass index (BMI), triglycerides and blood pressure. In addition, significantly higher levels of dietary phylloquinone were found in those with better cognition compared to those with the poorest function. Higher levels of inflammatory were also associated with poor cognition. Furthermore, both dietary and serum phylloquinone were significant independent predictors of good cognitive function, after controlling for confounders. This study highlights the importance of dietary vitamin K as a potentially protective cognitive factor; it also provides evidence for the correlation between cognition and inflammation. Strategies should be devised by which elderly populations can access rich dietary sources of phylloquinone to maintain cognition.

Keywords:

• Vitamin K
• Inflammation
• Cognitive function
• Elderly

Acknowledgements

The authors thank all the study participants for their involvement and cooperation throughout the study.

Disclaimer statements

Contributors The authors’ contributions are as follows: P.W.O’T and E.M.O’C were the principle investigators responsible for the design and execution of the present study; A.K., B.O., G.F., H.P. and E.M.O’C contributed to the analysis of the data, interpretation of the results and writing of the article. P.W.O’T contributed to the editing of the article. All authors read and contributed to the finalisation of the manuscript.

Funding Work in EMOC’s laboratory for this research was supported by the Allen Foundation Inc. Michigan, USA (2012.267). Work in PWOTs laboratory was supported by the Government of Ireland National Development Plan through a Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) Food Institutional Research Measure (FIRM) award (07/FHRI/UCC/3) for the ELDERMET project, and by a Centre award (APC/SFI/12/RC/2273) from Science Foundation Ireland to the APC Microbiome Institute. Funders were not involved in any capacity in the following: study design, sample collection, analysis, interpretation of data, writing or submission of manuscript for publication.

Disclosure of interest The authors report no conflict of interest.

Ethics approval None.