Sunbeds lower the chance of an early death, with the benefits of ultraviolet (UV) light outweighing the risks from skin cancer, a study suggests.
Sunbeds have long been considered dangerous to health, with the NHS advising against their use, and the Government banning under-18s from accessing solaria in commercial premises.
However new research from the University of Edinburgh suggests that sunshine is so limited in Britain that spending time in the sun – or on sunbeds – may bring health benefits.
Researchers tracked the sunbed use and location of around 395,000 white participants aged 37 to 73, who were followed for an average of 12.7 years.
Use was linked to 15 per cent reduction in all deaths during that period, and a 23 per cent reduction in deaths from cardiovascular disease. The risk of dying from cancer fell by 14 per cent for users.
Experts said people who used sunbeds might also seek out greater sun exposure and so the result could reflect broader sun-seeking behaviour.
While those with a higher estimated UV exposure had a slightly increased risk of being diagnosed with melanoma – a type of skin cancer – their risk of dying from the condition was not raised.
Prof Chris Dibben, from 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.”
Sunlight is known to bring many benefits to human health, including creating vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium, boosts bones, reduces inflammation and strengthens the immune system. Vitamin D also improves cognitive function and glucose metabolism, lowering the risk of diabetes.
UV light also helps regulate the body clock, keeping sleep and other biological rhythms in sync, which is crucial to health and longevity. Some studies have even shown that sunlight may lower blood pressure.
Lower risks in Cornwall than Scotland
Researchers at Edinburgh also used the geographical location of participants to calculate their average annual exposure to solar energy.
They found living in locations with higher UV light levels, such as Cornwall, was associated with a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer – 19 per cent and 12 per cent, respectively – compared with areas with lower UV levels, such as Edinburgh or Glasgow.
The team has called for public health advice to be adapted to reflect both the risks and benefits of UV exposure and say getting sufficient sunlight could improve life expectancy in low-sunlight countries.
However, experts caution that measures should still be taken to protect the skin when UV levels are high, to prevent sunburn and the development of skin cancer.
Prof Richard Weller, from the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Inflammation Research, said: “Dermatologists have 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 skin is important. However, this research shows that in the UK, the balance of benefit and risk from sunlight exposure is probably very different from that in sunnier countries.”
The research was published in the journal Health & Place.
Mortality from melanoma
However, some experts urged caution about the findings, warning there may not be sufficient data to draw conclusions that would apply to everyone.
Rachel Richardson, of Cochrane, the medical research charity, said: “Some of the results are based on small numbers of participants, for example the findings related to mortality from melanoma.
“This means that there is not enough information in the study to draw conclusions about whether there was an association between UV exposure and deaths from melanoma.”
Prof Kevin McConway, emeritus professor of applied statistics at the Open University, added: “The researchers only compared people who said they used a sunbed at least once a year, with people who said they used a sunbed less than that, or not at all.
“There is no comparison between different levels of sunbed use beyond that.
“People who live in different parts of the country differ in many other ways than the amount of UV radiation they get from the sun, and the same is true of people who use or don’t use sunbeds.
“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.”
