Is there a role for vitamin D in osteoporosis?

Vitamin D has certain clearly defined effects on bone: vitamin D deficiency results in defective bone mineralization, whereas 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3) stimulates bone resorption. Studies of the use of 1,25-(OH)2D3 to prevent or treat osteoporosis have given conflicting results concerning bone remodeling. However, 1,25-(OH)2D3 or other vitamin D metabolites seem to play a role in the correction of calcium malabsorption, which is a common feature in osteoporosis.