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Photochemical & Photobiological... Jan 2020Until recently, visible light (VL) had been regarded to be without significant photobiologic effect on the skin. Updated research suggests that this is not the case and... (Review)
Review
Until recently, visible light (VL) had been regarded to be without significant photobiologic effect on the skin. Updated research suggests that this is not the case and the measurable effect of visible light on the skin is being documented in all skin types. Recent studies have demonstrated that in dark-skinned individuals, visible light can induce more intense and longer lasting pigmentation of the skin compared to UVA1. This effect was potentiated when VL was combined with a small percentage of ultraviolet A1 radiation (UVA1). Further, the combination of VL + UVA1 was also able to induce erythema in light-skinned individuals, a novel finding since the erythemogenic spectrum of sunlight had primarily been attributed to ultraviolet B (UVB) and short wavelength UVA (320-340 nm). Based on these findings, VL and UVA1 may also potentially play a role in conditions aggravated by sun exposure such as phototoxicity in light-skinned patients and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and melasma, especially in dark-skinned individuals. Currently available organic (chemical) UV filters are not sufficient to protect the skin from the effect of VL. VL is emerging as a key player in photodermatology and additional research is needed on the cutaneous effects of VL, as well as the development of filters and other means of photoprotection against the harmful effects of the VL spectrum. The aim of this manuscript is to review the literature on the cutaneous effects of VL as well as to highlight areas of dermatology where VL may play an important role.
Topics: Humans; Light; Photobiology; Skin Pigmentation; Ultraviolet Rays
PubMed: 31922171
DOI: 10.1039/c9pp00425d -
Health Promotion Journal of Australia :... Jul 2021Australians' concerns about vitamin D and influence on sun protection were last quantified a decade ago in Queensland amidst media attention on emerging evidence of...
ISSUES ADDRESSED
Australians' concerns about vitamin D and influence on sun protection were last quantified a decade ago in Queensland amidst media attention on emerging evidence of non-skeletal benefits of vitamin D. Meanwhile these circumstances persist and impact is worth assessing.
METHODS
Measures of concern about vitamin D were included in three recent population-based cross-sectional surveys of Australians' sun-related behaviours during summer months (2010-2011, 2013-2014 and 2016-2017). We analysed characteristics, beliefs and behaviours associated with vitamin D concerns regarding regular sunscreen use among adults in 2016-2017 (N = 3614).
RESULTS
Concerns about vitamin D continued to persist among adults surveyed between 2010-2011 and 2016-2017. Vitamin D concerns regarding the sunscreen use were more common among women, older respondents and adults with skin that tans or is not susceptible to sunburn. Respondents concerned about vitamin D were more likely to exhibit pro-tanning beliefs, scepticism about sunscreen safety and have attempted a suntan. They were also less likely to use sun protection in everyday activities outdoors and less likely to use sunscreen on summer weekends.
CONCLUSIONS
Vitamin D concerns related to sunscreen use remained common among Australian adults. Skin cancer control advocates may be reassured that those with the greatest skin cancer risk (burn only) were less likely to hold these concerns, while the related infrequent sun protection and tanning among concerned adults are problematic. SO WHAT?: Continued education and research is needed to ensure that the general public understand the risks and benefits of sun exposure in Australia.
Topics: Adult; Australia; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Skin Neoplasms; Sunburn; Sunlight; Sunscreening Agents; Vitamin D
PubMed: 32557897
DOI: 10.1002/hpja.372 -
PloS One 2022Although overexposure to ultraviolet radiation may lead to skin cancer, inadequate exposure results in vitamin D deficiency (VDD). We explored vitamin D-related...
INTRODUCTION
Although overexposure to ultraviolet radiation may lead to skin cancer, inadequate exposure results in vitamin D deficiency (VDD). We explored vitamin D-related knowledge and sun exposure practices among Sri Lankan healthcare undergraduates.
METHODS
The sampling frame consisted of medical and allied health undergraduates in a single centre. A newly developed, pre-piloted, self-administered questionnaire collected data on vitamin D knowledge, sun avoidance behaviour and outdoor time. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis examined the factors related to outdoor time.
RESULTS
A total of 482 were included in the analysis. The mean (SD) vitamin D knowledge score (0-100% scale) was 31.3% (18%). Only 17.8% scored ≥50% for knowledge. At least one sun avoidance measure was used by 59.3% of the undergraduates. A lower knowledge score was observed with a higher number of sun-avoidance behaviour (mean difference 0.84, p = 0.03). The majority (66%) spent outdoors <30 minutes per day between 9 am-3 pm. The odds of having low outdoor time were 1.6 higher for the female sex (OR:1.61, 95%CI:1.039, 2.492, p<0.001) and studying in the final year (OR:1.63, 95%CI:1.020, 2.602, p = 0.04). Medical students had a higher likelihood of low outdoor time (OR:0.55, 95%CI: 0.361, 0.835, p = 0.005).
CONCLUSIONS
The healthcare undergraduates had low vitamin D knowledge and outdoor time while having increased sun avoidance. Gender, course of study, and academic year appeared to affect outdoor time. Support and guidance should improve knowledge and sun exposure habits that suit academic work and lifestyle in this population. Also, universities can actively promote positive sun exposure by organizing outdoor events.
Topics: Humans; Female; Vitamin D; Ultraviolet Rays; Sunlight; Sri Lanka; Vitamins; Vitamin D Deficiency; Surveys and Questionnaires; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
PubMed: 36574411
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279480 -
Journal of Bone and Mineral Metabolism May 2022Bone mineral density (BMD) decreases with age, leading to fractures, decreased mobility, and impaired quality of life. We aimed to determine the effects of brisk walking...
INTRODUCTION
Bone mineral density (BMD) decreases with age, leading to fractures, decreased mobility, and impaired quality of life. We aimed to determine the effects of brisk walking and exposure to sunlight on BMD and balance in the elderly with osteopenia.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We recruited 81 elderly subjects with osteopenia from January 2019 to March 2019. They were divided into four groups: a daytime-walking group (n = 20), a night-time-walking group (n = 20), a sun-exposure-only group (n = 20), and a control group (n = 21). The subjects walked briskly for 30-60 min three times a week for 24 weeks. The sun-exposure-only group received sunlight for 20-30 min three times a week. All four groups received supplemental calcium. Lumbar L1-L4 BMD, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3, timed-up-go-test (TUGT), five-times-sit-stand-test (FTSST), open-eye and closed-eye one-leg-stance-test (OLST) were measured at baseline and 1 day after program completion.
RESULTS
The lumbar L1-L4 BMD was higher in all intervention groups (P < 0.05), with the daytime-walking group outperforming the others. There was no significant difference between the night-time-walking and sun-exposure-only groups (P > 0.05). The levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 in the daytime-walking and sun-exposure-only groups were higher than those in the night-time-walking and control groups (P < 0.05). The TUGT and FTSST times decreased in all three intervention groups and predominantly so in the daytime-walking group, whereas the open-eye and closed-eye OLST times increased (P < 0.05).
CONCLUSION
Brisk walking and sun exposure increase BMD and improve dynamic and static balance in the elderly with osteopenia.
Topics: Aged; Bone Density; Bone Diseases, Metabolic; Calcifediol; Humans; Quality of Life; Sunlight; Walking
PubMed: 35347429
DOI: 10.1007/s00774-022-01317-7 -
Human Reproduction (Oxford, England) Jan 2021Is recreational and residential sun exposure associated with risk of endometriosis?
STUDY QUESTION
Is recreational and residential sun exposure associated with risk of endometriosis?
SUMMARY ANSWER
Tanning bed use in early adulthood, sunscreen use and history of sunburns were associated with a greater risk of endometriosis; however, higher residential UV exposure was associated with a lower endometriosis risk.
WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY
Previous research has reported an association between endometriosis and skin cancer, with evidence of shared risk factors between the two diseases. We investigated the potential associations between ultraviolet radiation and endometriosis risk.
STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION
The Nurses' Health Study II is a prospective cohort of 116 429 female US nurses aged 25-42 years at enrolment in 1989. Participants completed self-administered biennial questionnaires through June 2015.
PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTINGS, METHODS
We investigated self-reported measures of recreational sun-exposure and geocoded residential UV exposure in childhood and adulthood in relation to risk of laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis among premenopausal white women. We used Cox proportional hazards models to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs.
MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE
During follow-up, 4791 incident cases of laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis were reported among 1 252 248 person-years. Tanning bed use during high school/college (≥6 times per year vs. never use: HR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.01-1.40; Ptrend = 0.04) and at ages 25-35 (HR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.12-1.39; Ptrend ≤ 0.0001), number of sunburns during adolescence (Ptrend = 0.03) and percentage of time using sunscreen in adulthood (Ptrend = 0.002) were positively associated with risk of endometriosis. In contrast, residential UV level at birth (highest vs. lowest quintile: HR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.72-0.92; Ptrend = 0.0001), at age 15 (HR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.70-0.88; Ptrend ≤ 0.0001) and at age 30 (HR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.82-0.99; Ptrend = 0.21) were associated with a decreased risk of endometriosis.
LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION
Self-reported endometriosis diagnosis may be prone to misclassification; however, we restricted our definition to laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis, which has been shown to have high validity compared to medical records.
WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS
Our results suggest that tanning bed use in early adulthood increases endometriosis risk, potentially through a harmful effect of ultraviolet A wavelengths, and that residential UV exposure reduces risk, possibly via optimal vitamin D synthesis. These findings should be investigated further to enhance our understanding of endometriosis aetiology.
STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)
This project was supported by NICHD grants HD48544 and HD52473, HD57210, NIH grant CA50385, CA176726. M.K. was supported by a Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellowship within the 7th European Community Framework Programme (#PIOF-GA-2011-302078) and is grateful to the Philippe Foundation and the Bettencourt-Schueller Foundation for their financial support. H.R.H. is supported by the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health (K22 CA193860). The authors have nothing to disclose.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
N/A.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Cohort Studies; Endometriosis; Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Sunlight; Ultraviolet Rays
PubMed: 33432329
DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deaa280 -
Clinical Endocrinology Apr 2020Sunlight exposure of the skin is associated with both risks and benefits. On one hand, sunlight ultraviolet (UV) radiation can cause skin cancer through signature DNA... (Review)
Review
Sunlight exposure of the skin is associated with both risks and benefits. On one hand, sunlight ultraviolet (UV) radiation can cause skin cancer through signature DNA mutations. On the other hand, it can be absorbed in the skin by 7-dehydrocholesterol to instigate endogenous synthesis of vitamin D to regulate anticancer effects. Thus, protecting one's skin from sunlight to avoid skin cancer may lead to impaired vitamin D levels arguing for sensible sun exposure practices. To limit cancer, vitamin D metabolites can promote uncharacterized and diverse sets of events such as repair responses to DNA damage, apoptosis of malignant cells, and suppression of immune surveillance, proliferation and angiogenesis. Recent findings also suggest that part of the anticancer effects of vitamin D within squamous cell carcinoma-a type of skin cancer most directly linked to sun exposure-involves the DDIT4-mTOR catabolic signalling pathway to enhance cell autophagy. As mTOR activity and cellular metabolism are modulated as part of the DNA damage response, insights into the means by which mTOR can be controlled by vitamin D to suppress cancer is of molecular and clinical importance. Overall, the research so far suggests that presence of vitamin D through sunlight exposure and supplementation are beneficial for human health in the face of cancer.
Topics: Humans; Skin; Skin Neoplasms; Sunlight; Ultraviolet Rays; Vitamin D; Vitamins
PubMed: 31889334
DOI: 10.1111/cen.14150 -
Nutrients Jan 2023Sunlight exposure is an essential source of vitamin D for many humans. However, hypovitaminosis D is a global public health problem. This study aimed to develop and...
Sunlight exposure is an essential source of vitamin D for many humans. However, hypovitaminosis D is a global public health problem. This study aimed to develop and validate a sun exposure score (SES) and correlate it with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in women of childbearing age. One hundred and sixty women aged 18 to 45 years residing in Meknes, Morocco, were included. A questionnaire estimating the sun exposure score and blood analysis of serum 25-OHD concentration were performed. The questionnaire's reliability and construct validity were evaluated using Cronbach's alpha and factor analysis. Spearman's test was used to assess the correlation between SES and 25-OHD levels. The score's reliability and construct validity were good, with Cronbach's alpha values >0.70 and factorial saturation ranging from 0.696 to 0.948. Serum 25-OHD levels were significantly associated with the total sun exposure score, and all SES domains (Rho was 0.615 ( < 0.0001), 0.307 ( < 0.0001), 0.605 ( < 0.0001), and 0.424 ( < 0.0001) for total SES, indoor exposure domain, outdoor exposure domain, and sun protection practice domain, respectively). In addition, median 25-OHD levels increased significantly when sun exposure was changed from insufficient to sufficient ( < 0.0001). The results suggest that the sun exposure score could be used as a clinical tool to assess vitamin D levels in women of childbearing age.
Topics: Humans; Female; Sunlight; Reproducibility of Results; Vitamin D; Vitamin D Deficiency; Vitamins
PubMed: 36771395
DOI: 10.3390/nu15030688 -
Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers &... Mar 2022Sun exposure causes cutaneous squamous (SCC) and basal cell (BCC) carcinomas. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection might cause SCC.
BACKGROUND
Sun exposure causes cutaneous squamous (SCC) and basal cell (BCC) carcinomas. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection might cause SCC.
METHODS
We examined associations of β and γ HPV infection in skin-swab DNA and serum antibodies with skin cancer risk, and modification of the carcinogenic effects of sun exposure by them, in case-control studies of 385 SCC cases, 832 BCC cases, and 1,100 controls nested in an Australian prospective cohort study (enrolled 2006-2009).
RESULTS
Presence of β-1 and β-3 HPV DNA appeared to increase risks for SCC and BCC by 30% to 40% (P adjusted <0.01). BCC was also associated with genus β DNA, OR = 1.48; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.10 to 2.00 (P adjusted <0.01). Associations were strengthened with each additional positive β HPV DNA type: SCC (OR = 1.07; 95% CI, 1.02-1.12) and BCC (OR = 1.06; 95% CI, 1.03-1.10), Ptrend<0.01. Positivity to genus β or γ in serology, and genus γ in DNA, was not associated with either cancer. There was little evidence that any β HPV type was more strongly associated than others with either cancer. A weaker association of sun exposure with SCC and BCC in the presence of β-3 HPVs than in their absence suggests that β-3 HPVs modify sun exposure's effect.
CONCLUSIONS
Our substantive findings are at the level of genus β HPV. Like SCC, BCC risk may increase with increasing numbers of β HPV types on skin.
IMPACT
The consistency in our findings that HPV infection may moderate the effects of sun exposure, the main environmental cause of SCC and BCC, merits further investigation.
Topics: Australia; Carcinoma, Basal Cell; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Humans; Papillomaviridae; Papillomavirus Infections; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Skin Neoplasms; Sunlight
PubMed: 34933956
DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-21-1000 -
Archives of Dermatological Research Aug 2020Given the increased risk for another occurrence of melanoma among melanoma survivors, safe sun behaviors are important. Little data exist about differences in sun... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Given the increased risk for another occurrence of melanoma among melanoma survivors, safe sun behaviors are important. Little data exist about differences in sun behaviors among melanoma survivors residing in urban versus rural communities. We wanted to describe differences in sun exposure and protection behaviors by urban/rural status among melanoma survivors. We conducted a secondary data analysis of 724 melanoma survivors who participated in a cross-sectional survey. Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models assessed urban versus rural differences in sun exposure and protection behaviors. Unadjusted analyses showed evidence that urban melanoma survivors spent less time in the sun on weekdays and were more likely to use sunscreen, however, these differences disappeared when adjusting for confounding factors. Our study provides little evidence that rurality is an independent risk factor for worse sun protection behaviors in melanoma survivors after accounting for sociodemographic differences, but rurality as a broader term may be partially defined by urban versus rural sociodemographic differences. Skin health messaging to rural melanoma survivors should emphasize on ways to protect oneself from UV radiation even when spending time outside.
Topics: Aged; Cross-Sectional Studies; Environmental Exposure; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Male; Melanoma; Middle Aged; Risk Factors; Rural Population; Skin; Skin Neoplasms; Sunlight; Survival Analysis; Ultraviolet Rays; United States; Urban Population
PubMed: 31845013
DOI: 10.1007/s00403-019-02023-7 -
Vision Research Mar 2022We performed spectrophotometric measurements of skin reflectance at four body locations (forehead, cheek, neck, and back of hand), before and after two weeks of sun...
We performed spectrophotometric measurements of skin reflectance at four body locations (forehead, cheek, neck, and back of hand), before and after two weeks of sun exposure, for 103 first-year college students. Skin reflectance was measured twice at each body location, before and after two weeks of sun exposure, obtaining an average repeatability (mean color difference from the mean) in the range of 0.2-0.5 CIELAB units (D65 illuminant, CIE 1931 standard observer). However, the average skin color differences before and after two weeks of sun exposure were in the range of 3.6-3.9 CIELAB units, considerably higher than measured repeatability, as a consequence of suntanning. Skin color appearance variation was analyzed in the CIELAB color space, and it was found that at all body locations two weeks of sun exposure made lightness L and hue-angle h significantly decrease, a and chroma C significantly increase, and b shows no statistically significant changes (except for h at the forehead and cheek, and for a at the forehead where no statistically significant changes were found). An W shape for skin spectral reflectance between 520 nm and 600 nm was found at some of the four measured body locations. It was found that the individual typological angle (ITA) defined from L and b performed well in predicting our measured data and a modification of ITA using L and C performed even better, with the measured L as reference. The color shifts produced by two weeks of sun exposure in different planes of CIELAB were analyzed for the skin categories established by the ITA index, and compared with the control group data accumulated by Amano et al. (PLoS ONE. 15(12), e0233816)(PLoS ONE 15(2020) e0233816). The measured skin spectra can be useful to the skin color database currently being developed by CIE TC 1-92.
Topics: Color; Hand; Humans; Skin Pigmentation; Sunlight
PubMed: 34890929
DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2021.107976