Multiple Sclerosis Linked to Lack of UV Radiation, Vitamin D

[Guest guest]

Sun Exposure May Reduce MS Risk

 

Multiple Sclerosis Linked to Lack of UV Radiation, Vitamin D

 

By Cherie Berkley, MS

WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Michael Smith, MD

on Thursday, August 07, 2003

 

Aug. 7, 2003 -- A new study shows that lots of sun exposure --

particularly when

you're young -- may lower your risk for multiple sclerosis.

 

 

No one is recommending that you let your kids bake in the sun for

hours on end.

But previous studies have shown that multiple sclerosis is more

common in areas

of the world with less sun exposure -- areas further from the

equator. So in the

furious search for a multiple sclerosis cause, researchers looked at

the lack of

sunlight as one possibility.

 

 

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the nerves that can cause a

variety of

problems, such as lack of muscle control and strength, blurry

vision, trouble

with balance, and numbness.

 

 

Researchers compared 136 people under age 60 with multiple sclerosis

to nearly

300 people without it. The volunteers were all natives of Tasmania,

an area that

gets little sunlight in the winter and has a high prevalence of

multiple

sclerosis. The new study appears in the August issue of the British

Medical

Journal.

 

 

Researchers asked volunteers questions about their sun exposure,

including how

they protect themselves against the sun. They were also asked about

their use of

vitamin D supplements between ages 10 and 15 since previous studies

have

suggested that vitamin D may help protect against multiple

sclerosis. In

addition, vitamin D is produced in the body when the skin is exposed

to the sun.

 

 

 

Higher sun exposure from ages 6 to 15 -- an average of two or three

hours or

more a day in the summer during weekends and holidays -- was

associated with a

70% drop in multiple sclerosis risk.

 

 

Fairer-Skinned People at Higher Risk

 

 

Researchers also looked at skin damage and skin color. It turned out

that

fairer-skinned people were at a greater risk of developing multiple

sclerosis

earlier in life.

 

 

People with higher sun exposure between ages 6 and 15 and those with

greater

skin damage from the sun had a decreased risk.

 

 

The season of the year also played a role. Higher exposure in the

winter seemed

to decrease risk more than higher exposure in the summer. This may

explain why

the number of multiple sclerosis cases in Tasmania is high.

 

 

Researchers say the findings suggest there may be a link between

multiple

sclerosis and insufficient ultraviolet radiation or vitamin D -- or

both.

 

 

 

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SOURCES: British Medical Journal, August 2003. News Release, British

Medical

Journal. WebMD Medical Reference provided in collaboration with The

Cleveland

Clinic: What Causes MS?