BMJ  2003;327 (9 August), doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7410.0-b

Sun exposure while young may protect against multiple sclerosis

Higher exposure to sunlight during childhood and adolescence may protect against multiple sclerosis. A case-control study by van der Mei and colleagues (p 316) in Tasmania, which has a high prevalence of multiple sclerosis, found that insufficient ultraviolet radiation may influence the development of multiple sclerosis. Higher sun exposure between the ages of 6 and 15 years, especially in winter, was associated with a one third decreased risk of multiple sclerosis. The authors also report a dose-response relation between multiple sclerosis and actinic skin damage, a measure of lifetime sun exposure.

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Relevant Article

Past exposure to sun, skin phenotype, and risk of multiple sclerosis: case-control study

I A F van der Mei, A-L Ponsonby, T Dwyer, L Blizzard, R Simmons, B V Taylor, H Butzkueven, and T Kilpatrick
BMJ 2003 327: 316. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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