Sunscreen and Prevention of Skin Aging: A Randomized Trial
Publication: Annals of Internal Medicine
Volume 158, Number 11
Abstract
Background:
Sunscreen use and dietary antioxidants are advocated as preventives of skin aging, but supporting evidence is lacking.
Objective:
To determine whether regular use of sunscreen compared with discretionary use or β-carotene supplements compared with placebo retard skin aging, measured by degree of photoaging.
Design:
Randomized, controlled, community-based intervention. (Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12610000086066).
Setting:
Nambour, Australia (latitude 26° S).
Patients:
903 adults younger than 55 years out of 1621 adults randomly selected from a community register.
Intervention:
Random assignment into 4 groups: daily use of broad-spectrum sunscreen and 30 mg of β-carotene, daily use of sunscreen and placebo, discretionary use of sunscreen and 30 mg of β-carotene, and discretionary use of sunscreen and placebo.
Measurements:
Change in microtopography between 1992 and 1996 in the sunscreen and β-carotene groups compared with controls, graded by assessors blinded to treatment allocation.
Results:
The daily sunscreen group showed no detectable increase in skin aging after 4.5 years. Skin aging from baseline to the end of the trial was 24% less in the daily sunscreen group than in the discretionary sunscreen group (relative odds, 0.76 [95% CI, 0.59 to 0.98]). β-Carotene supplementation had no overall effect on skin aging, although contrasting associations were seen in subgroups with different severity of aging at baseline.
Limitation:
Some outcome data were missing, and power to detect moderate treatment effects was modest.
Conclusion:
Regular sunscreen use retards skin aging in healthy, middle-aged men and women. No overall effect of β-carotene on skin aging was identified, and further study is required to definitively exclude potential benefit or potential harm.
Primary Funding Source:
National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Annals of Internal Medicine
Volume 158 • Number 11 • 4 June 2013
Pages: 781 - 790
History
Published online: 4 June 2013
Published in issue: 4 June 2013
Keywords
Copyright
© 2013 American College of Physicians.
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Sunscreen and Prevention of Skin Aging: A Randomized Trial. Ann Intern Med.2013;158:781-790. [Epub 4 June 2013]. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-158-11-201306040-00002
Sunscreen and Prevention of Skin Aging: A Randomized Trial. Ann Intern Med.2013;158:781-790. [Epub 4 June 2013]. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-158-11-201306040-00002
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