Skin Cancer Decreases Risk of Alzheimer’s?
http://tinyurl.com/bv3o4vnl
Older people with nonmelanoma skin cancers may be less likely to
develop Alzheimer’s, according to new research published in Neurology.
The link does not apply to melanoma, an aggressive, less common type
of skin cancer.
Richard Lipton, MD, of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York
City and colleagues conducted a longitudinal study with 1,100
residents over the age of 70. The adults, with no indication of
dementia at baseline, were followed for an average of 3.7 years. At
baseline, 109 participants reported a history of nonmelanoma skin
cancer. Over the course of the study, 32 people developed skin cancer
and 100 were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s dementia.
The researchers found that those who had skin cancer were 80% less
likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those who didn’t have skin
cancer. Of all the participants who had or developed skin cancer, two
were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. There was no link with other types of
dementia.
Dr Lipton and colleagues offer that the nonmelanoma skin cancers may
have some type of biological protective effect. They discuss physical
activity as one explanation, “Physical activity is known to protect
against dementia, and outdoor activity could increase exposure to UV
radiation, which increases the risk of skin cancer.”
The researchers explain that biological factors most likely play a
role, as physical activity doesn’t reduce Alzheimer’s risk to the
extent seen in the study. The authors don’t discuss vitamin D as a
potential reason for the decreased risk of Alzheimer’s.
We have previously reported on research that found consumption of
vitamin D rich food and midday sun exposure were linked to decreased
risk of Alzheimer’s disease.