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New research from Scotland suggests that the health benefits of sunlight may outweigh the risks of skin cancer in gloomier parts of the world.
Scientists from the University of Edinburgh found exposure to higher levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation is linked to a drop in deaths due to cancer and cardiovascular disease – including heart attacks and strokes.
The researchers believe adapting public health advice to reflect both risks and benefits may help improve life expectancy in low-sunlight countries, such as Scotland.
“The benefits of UV exposure may outweigh the risks in low-sunlight countries,” they say. However, they urge people to continue to take protective measures to prevent sunburn and skin cancer.

Experts commenting on the report said it is important to avoid causation, and noted that other factors may contribute to the findings.
Scientists used UK BioBank data to examine the UV exposure of 395,000 people from white European backgrounds; however, “limitations” were raised by commentators, as the participants were aged between 37 and 73 at the time of recruitment.
Living in places with higher UV levels, such as in Cornwall, a county on England’s rugged southwestern tip, for example, was associated with a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer – 19 per cent and 12 per cent respectively – than areas with lower UV levels, such as in Edinburgh or Glasgow, the two largest cities in Scotland, according to the report.
In lower-light environments, relatively higher exposure to UV is good for your health
Chris Dibben, professor
The team asked participants if they used sunbeds, calculated average annual UV exposure based on region, and looked at the cause of death for participants who died.
Smoking, exercise, poverty and gender were considered, to reduce the chance these factors were responsible for any changes observed. The report noted “evidence of a healthy volunteer selection bias” – so the sample was not representative of the population as a whole.
Sunbed use was linked to a 23 per cent lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and a 14 per cent lower risk of fatal cancer in the report; however, it was noted that sunbed users may potentially seek out greater sun exposure.
Those with a higher estimated UV exposure had a slightly increased risk of being diagnosed with melanoma – skin cancer – but their risk of dying from the condition was not higher, the report said.
The findings are of most relevance to low-sunlight countries, and experts said research into locations with higher UV exposure is needed to build a clearer picture of the potential benefits.

Professor Chris Dibben, of the university’s school of geosciences, said: “Our paper adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that, in lower-light environments, relatively higher exposure to UV is good for your health.
“Though there may be an increased risk of skin cancer incidence with higher UV exposure, this risk appears to be outweighed by a larger reduction in the risk of death from cancer and cardiovascular-related disease.”
Professor Richard Weller, from the university’s centre for inflammation research, said: “Dermatologists traditionally only considered possible harm to the skin caused by sunlight, much of which dates from the experience of white-skinned individuals in sunny countries such as Australia. When the UV index is very high, protecting the skin is important.
“Research shows that in the UK, the balance of benefit and risk is probably very different from that in sunnier countries.”
The study, “Higher Ultraviolet Light Exposure Is Associated With Lower Mortality: An Analysis Of Data From The UK Biobank Cohort Study”, was published in health journal Health & Place, funded by Health Data Research UK, the country’s national institute for health data science.
Some doubt has to remain about the extent to which the different UV exposures explain the differences in death rates
Kevin McConway, professor
Professor Kevin McConway, an emeritus professor of applied statistics at the Open University, said: “On average, deaths occurred later in people who lived in sunnier parts of the UK, or used a sunbed at least once a year.
“The snag is that people who live in different parts of the country differ in many other ways than the amount of UV radiation, and sunbeds. The correlation between UV exposure and death rates could be caused by other factors.
“The researchers rightly point out there may be some relevant confounding factors they did not adjust for – and it’s not possible to adjust for factors on which there is no data.
“Some doubt has to remain about the extent to which the different UV exposures explain the differences in death rates, in terms of cause and effect.”
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Health & Wellness

Health

New research from Scotland suggests that higher levels of UV exposure are linked to a drop in deaths from cancer and cardiovascular disease


In low-sunlight countries, the benefits of being exposed to higher levels of UV radiation outweigh the risks, a Scottish study has found; experts say more research is needed in places with higher UV exposure.


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