PTH and chronic kidney disease: Figure 1 in that article outlined how activation of the vitamin D receptor could reduce mortality from CKD, with the associated mechanisms including effects on cardiac hypertrophy, atherosclerosis, vascular calcification, thrombosis, immune status, and tumorigenesis, in addition to lowering parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations in cardiac, vascular, metabolic, hematology, and immunology contexts.