This study supports the idea that sunlight has something to do with MS. People who have MS are less likely to get skin cancer, which these researchers conclude implies that they have less sun exposure. This then supports the idea that less sun exposure may have something to do with having Multiple Sclerosis in the first place. Now remember, all these studies need to be taken with a grain of salt: Maybe people with MS have less skin cancer because they are more likely to stay indoors as they are heat sensitive...
"OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) varies with latitude: it increases with distance from the equator in both hemispheres. To seek evidence on whether solar radiation is a protective factor for MS, this study investigated whether skin cancer, as an indicator of solar radiation, is less common in people with MS than in others...
RESULTS: Skin cancer was significantly less common in people with MS than in the main comparison cohort...
CONCLUSION: The findings support the hypothesis that solar radiation may have a protective influence on the development of MS."
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Full Article Text
Skin cancer in people with multiple sclerosis: a record linkage study.
Goldacre MJ, Seagroatt V, Yeates D, Acheson ED.
Unit of Health-Care Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Oxford University, Oxford, UK. Department of Epidemiology, Public Health, University College London, Medical School, London, UK.
OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) varies with latitude: it increases with distance from the equator in both hemispheres. To seek evidence on whether solar radiation is a protective factor for MS, this study investigated whether skin cancer, as an indicator of solar radiation, is less common in people with MS than in others.
DESIGN: Analysis of a database of linked hospital records and death certificates.
SETTING: The Oxford Region of the National Health Service, England.
SUBJECTS: A cohort comprising all people in the database with MS, and comparison cohorts of people with other diseases.
RESULTS: Skin cancer was significantly less common in people with MS than in the main comparison cohort (rate ratio 0.49; 95% confidence interval 0.24 to 0.91). There was no general deficit of cancer in the MS cohort, and no deficit of skin cancer in cohorts of people with other autoimmune or neurological diseases.
CONCLUSION: The findings support the hypothesis that solar radiation may have a protective influence on the development of MS.
PMID: 14729897 [PubMed - in process]
