{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T04:59:49Z","timestamp":1787029189450,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,10,12]],"date-time":"2021-10-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1633996800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Vascular calcification and fragility fractures are associated with high morbidity and mortality, especially in end-stage renal disease. We evaluated the relationship of iliac arteries calcifications (IACs) and abdominal aortic calcifications (AACs) with the risk for vertebral fractures (VFs) in hemodialysis patients. The VIKI study was a multicenter cross-sectional study involving 387 hemodialysis patients. The biochemical data included bone health markers, such as vitamin K levels, vitamin K-dependent proteins, vitamin 25(OH)D, alkaline phosphatase, parathormone, calcium, and phosphate. VF, IACs and AACs was determined through standardized spine radiograms. VF was defined as &gt;20% reduction of vertebral body height, and VC were quantified by measuring the length of calcium deposits along the arteries. The prevalence of IACs and AACs were 56.1% and 80.6%, respectively. After adjusting for confounding variables, the presence of IACs was associated with 73% higher odds of VF (p = 0.028), whereas we found no association (p = 0.294) for AACs. IACs were associated with VF irrespective of calcification severity. Patients with IACs had lower levels of vitamin K2 and menaquinone 7 (0.99 vs. 1.15 ng\/mL; p = 0.003), and this deficiency became greater with adjustment for triglycerides (0.57 vs. 0.87 ng\/mL; p &lt; 0.001). IACs, regardless of their extent, are a clinically relevant risk factor for VFs. The association is enhanced by adjusting for vitamin K, a main player in bone and vascular health. To our knowledge these results are the first in the literature. Prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings both in chronic kidney disease and in the general population.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu13103567","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,10,13]],"date-time":"2021-10-13T06:38:41Z","timestamp":1634107121000},"page":"3567","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":10,"title":["The Vessels-Bone Axis: Iliac Artery Calcifications, Vertebral Fractures and Vitamin K from VIKI Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9478-4851","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria","family":"Fusaro","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Clinical Physiology (IFC), 56124 Pisa, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Medicine, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Giovanni","family":"Tripepi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CNR-IFC, Clinical Epidemiology of Renal Diseases and Hypertension, Ospedali Riuniti, 89124 Reggio Calabria, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mario","family":"Plebani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Padua, 35129 Padua, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cristina","family":"Politi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CNR-IFC, Clinical Epidemiology of Renal Diseases and Hypertension, Ospedali Riuniti, 89124 Reggio Calabria, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andrea","family":"Aghi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinica Medica 1, Department of Medicine, University of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fulvia","family":"Taddei","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Bioengineering and Computing Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, 40136 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Enrico","family":"Schileo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Bioengineering and Computing Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, 40136 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Martina","family":"Zaninotto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Padua, 35129 Padua, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gaetano","family":"La Manna","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nephrology, Dialysis and Renal Transplant Unit, IRCCS\u2014Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Alma Mater Studiorum University of 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Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Piergiorgio","family":"Messa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit of Nephrology, Dialysis and Kidney Transplantation, Fondazione IRCCS Ca\u2019 Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano, 20157 Milan, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, 20157 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maura","family":"Ravera","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Thomas L.","family":"Nickolas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Serge","family":"Ferrari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Service des Maladies Osseuses, D\u00e9partement de M\u00e9decine, HUG, 1205 Gen\u00e8ve, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Markus","family":"Ketteler","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of General Internal Medicine and Nephrology, Robert-Bosch-Krankenhaus, 70376 Stuttgart, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Giorgio","family":"Iervasi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maria Cristina","family":"Mereu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Independent Researcher, 09100 Cagliari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Roberto","family":"Vettor","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, 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