Supplements, Not Sunbathing, Is How To Get Enough Vitamin D

Too much exposure to sunshine has been shown to cause wrinkles and, potentially, skin cancer." However, a lack of vitamin D and sunshine may "be a contributing factor in a number of illnesses, from multiple sclerosis and obesity to depression and osteoporosis." We advise patients, "As a dermatologist...I would recommend you take a supplement and protect yourself with sunscreen" in order to get enough vitamin D while avoiding UV damage. "I wouldn't recommend that you sunbathe."

High Phosphate Levels May Accelerate Aging Process.

The UK's Telegraph (4/28, Alleyne) reported that, according to a study published in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal, "high levels of phosphate in sodas and processed foods accelerate the ageing process in mice and contribute to age-associated complications." Specifically, "high phosphate levels may...increase the prevalence and severity of age-related complications, such as chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular calcification, and can also induce severe muscle and skin atrophy." Harvard researchers came to these conclusions after conducting a series of experiments in mice, some of which were "missing a gene (klotho), which when absent, causes mice to have toxic levels of phosphate in their bodies."

Too Few Middle-Aged, Older White Americans Being Screened For Skin Cancer.

HealthDay (4/21, Preidt) reported that "too few middle-aged and older white Americans are being screened for skin cancer, a particular problem among those who did not finish high school or receive other common cancer screenings," according to a study published in the American Journal of Medicine. Just "16 percent of men and 13 percent of women reported having a skin examination in the past year." Researchers found that "the lowest rates of skin cancer screenings were among men and women aged 50 to 64, people with some high school education or less, those without a history of skin cancer, and those who hadn't had a recent screening for breast cancer, prostate cancer or colorectal cancer."

Severe Psoriasis May Increase Risk For Mortality Due To Cardiovascular Disease.

MedWire (4/16, Piper) reported that, according to a study published in the European Heart Journal, "patients with severe psoriasis have an increased risk for mortality due to cardiovascular (CV) disease." After comparing CV mortality in 3,603 patients with severe psoriasis with that in 14,330 people without psoriasis, researchers found that "patients with severe psoriasis have a clinically significant 57% increased risk of CV death." An accompanying editorial "suggested that otherwise healthy individuals with moderate-to-severe psoriasis should be 'encouraged to follow lifestyle recommendations to include increased exercise frequency, dietary discretion, and smoking cessation.'"

Melanoma Survivors May Have Nine-Fold Increased Risk For Developing Subsequent Melanoma.

MedWire (4/16, Albert) reported that, according to a study published in the March issue of the Archives of Dermatology, "melanoma survivors have a nine-fold increased risk for developing subsequent melanoma compared with the general population." After nine years of follow-up on 89,515 patients with primary cutaneous malignant melanoma, researchers "found that 10,857 (12.1%) of the participants developed one or more subsequent primary cancers," most often "subsequent primary melanoma, which accounted for 25% of the subsequent cancers recorded," a risk that remained higher even after 20 years.