Diet-sensitive prognostic markers for cardiovascular and renal disease

Diet plays a relevant role in the development and progression of lifestyle-related diseases like hypertension and type 2 diabetes and the subsequent risk of cardiovascular and renal disease. Riphagen used several diet-sensitive biomarkers to further explore the effects of diet on cardiovascular and renal health. Lifestyle measures including dietary sodium restriction and increased potassium intake are recognized to lower blood pressure. Increased potassium intake during sodium restriction, however, was found to have little effect on blood pressure. Riphagen investigated the effects of potassium supplementation on blood pressure and fluid balance in 35 (pre)hypertensive subjects during a fully controlled sodium-restricted diet using a panel of biomarkers. Potassium supplementation was found to have a relatively small blood pressure-lowering effect during sodium restriction. The blood pressure-lowering effects seemed mitigated by activation of several counter regulatory mechanisms involved in regulation of fluid balance and blood pressure (i.e., vasopressin, the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system [RAAS], and heart rate). Vascular calcification is also an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Matrix Gla protein (MGP) is a vitamin K-dependent inhibitor of soft tissue calcification. During vitamin K insufficiency, MGP is inactive. Riphagen investigated the prevalence of vitamin K insufficiency and its health consequences through measurement of inactive MGP in a general population-based cohort. Vitamin K insufficiency was found to be a common phenomenon especially among elderly and subjects with chronic diseases and was associated with an increased (cardiovascular) mortality risk. Diet-sensitive biomarkers are a useful tool to further explore the effects of diet on cardiovascular and renal health