[Updates on Lifestyle-Related Diseases and Bone Metabolism. A possible involvement of vitamin D, a pivotal player in bone metabolism, in lifestyle-related diseases].

Vitamin D plays a pivotal role in the regulation of bone metabolism, essentially through its effects on calcium and phosphate absorption. Although major targets of vitamin D action are skeletal system and mineral metabolism, vitamin D receptor is ubiquitously expressed in many tissues. Accumulating evidence suggests a possible involvement of vitamin D in the regulation of blood sugar and blood pressure in addition to its effects on bone and mineral metabolism.