Calcium Is Quietly Building Plaque in Your Arteries. Here Is What Stops It.
A two-year randomized trial found what can slow arterial calcification.
By age 40, many people already have detectable coronary plaque.
Your coronary artery calcium (CAC) score measures the calcified plaque in your arteries. A CT scan assigns a number to the buildup. A score above zero means you have plaque. Scores between 100 and 400 mean you have moderate plaque burden and higher cardiovascular risk. In many people, CAC scores rise over time, especially when you have metabolic dysfunction.
A 2026 randomized controlled trial in JAMA Cardiology tested whether 360 mcg per day of menaquinone-7 (MK-7, a form of vitamin K2) slows progression. After two years, the K2 group accumulated significantly less new calcification than the placebo group.
In the full version:
Why calcium ends up in arteries instead of bones
About the trial
What to pair with K2
How to get a CAC scan and what your number means
What I take and why
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