[Update on recent progress in vitamin D research. Eldecalcitol ^R and Fall Prevention.]

In the elderly, vitamin D deficiency results not only in impaired bone mineralization, but also myopathy. Low vitamin D has also been shown to be associated with decline of muscle strength, sarcopenia, functional limitation, and disability. Several recent studies have shown that low serum vitamin D concentration is associated with lower physical function and falls in older adults. In this article, the author reviews a relationship between falls and serum vitamin D concentration of the elderly living in the community, and also introduces the major results from a recent randomized controlled trial on prevention of decline of fall-related balance performance by the treatment with newly developed active vitamin D(Eldecalcitol ^R )among the women with age 65 years old and over and diagnosed as osteoporosis.