Cor Vasa 2026, 68(2):173-178 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2025.102

Combined vitamin K2, vitexin, and vitamin D3 (K2VD3) intake in patients with peripheral artery disease

Gianluigi Rosi, Daniele Ceccaroni, Daniela Fruttini

Rosi Vascular Center, Perugia, Italy

Objective: This observational study investigates therapeutic efficacy of bioactive compounds (vitexin, vitamin K2, and vitamin D3, K2VD3) in alleviating claudicatio intermittens in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD).

Methods: Patients with PAD stage IIb under best medical cure were treated with life-style therapy and K2VD3 for 12 months.

Results: Mean pain-free walking distance, described at baseline as 123 meters (95% CI 17-297), increase as follow: 376 (95% CI 226-527), 794 (95% CI 517-1070), 2 645 (95% CI 1511-3780), and 2 659 (95% CI 1529-3789) meters after 2, 4, 6 and 12 months, respectively (p < 0.001 for each interval if compared with the previous one and the baseline). Moreover, ankle-brachial index also increased, from 0.60 (95% CI 0.22-0.87), to 0.62 after 6 months (95% CI 0.55-0.79) and 0.75 after 12 months (95% CI 0.65-0.90) (p < 0.01 only for baseline vs 12 months).

Conclusion: K2VD3 can contribute to alleviating claudicatio intermittens in PAD patients. The significant increases in mean pain-free walking distance and ankle-brachial index observed over the 12-month study period support the therapeutic efficacy of this bioactive compound combination. These findings suggest that K2VD3 not only enhances physical performance but also improves vascular health, thereby addressing a critical need in PAD management. Further studies are needed to assess its efficacy in randomized trials, both with and without concomitant lifestyle interventions, to fully elucidate its potential role in clinical practice.

Keywords: Peripheral artery disease, Vitamin D3, Vitamin K2, Vitexin

Received: September 4, 2025; Revised: September 23, 2025; Accepted: September 25, 2025; Prepublished online: June 2, 2012; Published: May 20, 2026  Show citation