Original Paper

Controlled Vitamin K Content Diet for Improving the Management of Poorly Controlled Anticoagulated Patients: A Clinical Practice Proposal
Gian Gabriele Sorano^a, Giovanni Biondi^a, Maria Conti^a, Giulia Mameli^a, Donatella Licheri^b, Francesco Marongiu^a

Institutes of
^aInternal Medicine and
^bHuman Physiology, University of Cagliari, Italy

Address of Corresponding Author

Haemostasis 1993;23:77-82 (DOI: 10.1159/000216857)

  Key Words

• Vitamin K
• Diet
• Oral anticoagulants
• International normalized ratio
• Prothrombin time

  Abstract

The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of a diet with a known vitamin K content on the monitor test for oral anticoagulant therapy. We studied 10 poorly controlled patients (7 women and 3 men, mean age 48+15 years) in therapy with acenocoumarol for at least 1 year. Another group of 10 poorly controlled patients was considered as a control group. After a baseline period, during which a free diet was allowed, patients were administered a diet with a controlled vitamin K content; in the same period, control subjects were not subjected to any dietary restriction. Thrombotest (Nyegaard, Oslo) was employed for monitoring oral anticoagulant therapy, with a therapeutic range between 2.3 and 4.8 INR. We found a significant difference by thrombotest between the percentages within the therapeutic range obtained before and during dietary treatment (p = 0.0001). The difference in percentages was -0.31 and the 95% CI, of the difference ranged from -0.45 to -0.17. No significant difference was shown in the control group in the same periods. Our data suggest that a diet with a controlled vitamin K content is effective in increasing the percentage of tests within the therapeutic range in patients with poorly controlled anticoagulation.

Copyright © 1993 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Francesco Marongiu, MD, Institute of Internal Medicine, via S. Giorgio 12, I-09124 Cagliari (Italy)

  Article Information

Received: October 19, 1992
Received in revised form: January 4, 1993
Accepted: January 20, 1993
Published online: April 28, 2009
Number of Print Pages : 6