The Vita-K measurement: The elasticity of the blood vessels
What is a Vita-K measurement?
The Vita-K measurement is a measurement which, within two minutes and without taking a finger prick, can tell us something about the condition of the blood vessels, expressed in a so-called APG value.
What does a Vita-K measurement do?
The Vita-K measurement looks at the extent to which blood vessels can expand as a result of the heartbeat. This makes it a measure of the elasticity of the blood vessels. At the same time the device measures the heart rate and the saturation (the percentage of haemoglobin in the blood that contains oxygen).
What does this tell you?
The elasticity of the blood vessels tells us something about the chance of arteriosclerosis and thus indirectly about a possible vitamin K deficiency.
The Vita K-Meter indicates the degree of arteriosclerosis in the blood vessels. Poor Vitamin K status increases the risk of metabolic syndrome, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, obesity, hypertension, heart attack, peripheral arterial disease and premature death.
We offer this test free at a consultation.
APG scores
The Vita K Meter displays a score (1 to 6) known as the APG score. These scores are calculated from the acceleration of blood flow caused by the heartbeat. The technology that can measure this is the Accelerated PlethysmoGraphy (APG). The APG scores are shown schematically in the following picture, which shows the degree of arteriosclerosis.
How does it work?
The Vita K meter, developed in cooperation with the University of Maastricht, is based on the Accelerated PlethysmoGraphy (APG) technology. Hereby pulsations of the bloodstream in small bloodvessels of the skin are used to map vascular characteristics. This is done non-invasively, so no blood sampling is required. The measurement provides an image of cardiovascular aspects such as heart rate, oxygen content of the blood and the degree of calcification.
A stiffening of the artery wall leads to an increased systolic (systole = phase in which the heart contracts) blood pressure and accelerated blood flow with each heartbeat. Healthy vessels are much more elastic and can therefore cope better with the increased pressure.
The condition of the blood vessels is represented by a scale from 1 to 6, where 1 indicates a healthy cardiovascular condition and no modification of diet and lifestyle is necessary. Score 6, on the other hand, indicates that significant calcification may be present and a medical check-up is recommended.
