Women with fair phenotypes seem to confer a survival advantage in a low UV milieu. A nested matched case control study.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Sun exposure in combination with skin pigmentation is the main determinant for vitamin D status. Human skin color seems to be adapted and optimized for regional sun ultraviolet (UV) intensity. However, we do not know if fair, UV-sensitive skin is a survival advantage in regions with low UV radiation. METHODS:A population-based nested case-control study of 29,518 Caucasian women, ages 25 to 64 years from Southern Sweden who responded to a questionnaire regarding risk-factors for malignant melanoma in 1990 and followed for 25 years. For each fair woman, defined as having red hair or freckles (n = 11,993), a control was randomly selected from all non-fair women from within the cohort of similar age, smoking habits, education, marital status, income, and comorbidity, i.e., 11,993 pa

SUBMITTER: Lindqvist PG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6992199 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature