[Active vitamin D metabolite and prevention of falls]

Recently, vitamin D metabolites have been internationally recognized to be effective for osteoporosis. The beneficial trend of the drugs for osteoporosis has been more in the prevention of fracture than in the increase of bone mineral density, and more in the prevention of fractures of four extremities compared to spinal fractures. The reason to reduce the fracture frequency of four extremities is due to increase the muscle power, the decrease of body sway and the reduction of falls by the action of the vitamin D. In the study of Japanese, it was declared that administration of active vitamin D significantly reduced the frequency of femoral neck fracture.