Drug-induced Reduction of Gamma Carboxylation in Osteocalcin: What is the Fallback?

Norina Usman; Aisha Qaseem; Joseph S Jayaraj; Nida Fathima; Rajesh Naidu Janapala

doi:10.7759/cureus.5504

Drug-induced Reduction of Gamma Carboxylation in Osteocalcin: What is the Fallback?

Cureus. 2019 Aug 28;11(8):e5504. doi: 10.7759/cureus.5504.

Authors

Norina Usman¹, Aisha Qaseem², Joseph S Jayaraj³, Nida Fathima⁴, Rajesh Naidu Janapala³

Affiliations

¹ Internal Medicine, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System - Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, USA.
² Internal Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences and Psychology, Fairfield, USA.
³ Internal Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai/Queens Hospital Center, New York, USA.
⁴ Internal Medicine, Sri Siddhartha Medical College, Tumkur, IND.

Abstract

Osteoporosis is a medical condition in which bone becomes fragile and weak. In this condition, the quality and density of the bone are reduced. Vitamin K is vital for bone mineralization as it plays a vital role in the gamma-carboxylation of osteocalcin. Therefore, if there is a deficiency of vitamin K, it can lead to osteoporosis due to undercarboxylated osteocalcin. Warfarin is the most widely used anticoagulant in the elderly. In this article, we reviewed how Warfarin, an inhibitor of vitamin K, affects bone remodeling and leads to osteoporosis.

Keywords: anticoagulants; fracture; osteoporosis; warfarin.

Publication types

Review