Vitamin D and secreted Klotho: a long-awaited panacea for vascular calcification?

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is characterized by accelerated vascular calcification, which may in part be caused by deficiency of the anti-aging factor Klotho. Lau et al. demonstrate that administration of active vitamin D and its analog decreases aortic calcification in association with increases in two potent calcification inhibitors--the secreted form of Klotho and vascular osteopontin. These data might provide a new perspective on the association of active vitamin D with improved survival in patients with CKD.