Vitamin D receptors (VDR) are found in cells throughout the cardiovascular system. A variety of experimental studies indicate that the liganded VDR may play an important role in controlling cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis, regulating blood pressure and suppressing the development of atherosclerosis. Some, but not all, observational studies in humans provide support for these experimental findings, raising the possibility that vitamin D or its homologues might prove useful therapeutically in the prevention or treatment of cardiovascular disease.