RANKL links arterial calcification with osteolysis.

Vascular calcification is a pathological sequence of events that has similarities to the normal physiological process of osteogenesis.1,2 It is thought to result from an imbalance in both local and systemic inhibitors and promoters,3,4 which occurs as a consequence of chronic inflammation, hyperleptinemia, and a deregulation of various bone-regulating proteins. It is common in patients with diabetes and renal failure and in the elderly.4,5 The fact that coronary artery calcification is such a major health problem and the recognition that it is highly correlative with mortality risk6 makes the understanding of vascular calcification a worthy and exciting area of study.