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Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the small and large conducting airway mucosa characterised by Th2 cell immunity.
Low vitamin D intake and prevalence of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration <50 nmol/L among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples highlight a need for public health strategies to improve vitamin D status. Since few foods contain naturally occurring vitamin D, food fortification could be a suitable strategy. We aimed to model vitamin D food fortification scenarios among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
There is a greater prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS), a neurological autoimmune condition, in populations living further from the equator, hypothesised to be due to reduced sunlight exposure. There exists a proven sunlight surrogate therapy for dermatological inflammatory conditions, in the form of narrowband NB-UVB phototherapy. Yet, there is a paucity of randomized trials of the therapeutic delivery of NB-UVB beyond dermatology for conditions with a systemic inflammatory component.
Little is known about how sun exposure may affect the maternal skin barrier during pregnancy when many hormonal and physiological changes occur. In this longitudinal observational study, 50 pregnant women were recruited at 18-24 weeks' gestation, 25 in summer-autumn, and 25 in winter-spring. At three time points in pregnancy at 18-24, 28-30, and 36-38 weeks' gestation, participants completed a validated sun exposure questionnaire and had skin permeability and surface pH measured on the volar forearm.
Type-2 diabetes is a leading cause of death and disability. Emerging evidence suggests that ultraviolet radiation or sun exposure may limit its development. We used freely available online datasets to evaluate the associations between solar radiation and type-2 diabetes prevalence across Australia.
Preeclampsia is a pregnancy disorder characterized by hypertension. Epidemiological studies have associated preeclampsia with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring, such as autism and schizophrenia. Preeclampsia has also been linked with maternal vitamin D deficiency, another candidate risk factor also associated with autism.
This study aimed to describe the vitamin D status of pregnant women in Western Australia and identify predictors of deficiency in pregnancy. A cross-sectional study was conducted using linked data from statewide administrative data collections.
Cells of the skin and circulation are in constant two-way communication. Following exposure of humans to sunlight or to phototherapy, there are alterations in the number, phenotype and function of circulating blood cells.
The dramatic rise in allergic disease has occurred in tandem with recent environmental changes and increasing indoor lifestyle culture. While multifactorial, one consistent allergy risk factor has been reduced sunlight exposure. However, vitamin D supplementation studies have been disappointing in preventing allergy, raising possible independent effects of ultraviolet (UV) light exposure.
Vitamin D deficiency (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration <50 nmol/l) is recognised as a public health problem globally. The present study details the prevalence and predictors of vitamin D deficiency in a nationally representative sample (n 3250) of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults aged ≥18 years. We used data from the 2012-2013 Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (AATSIHS). Serum 25(OH)D concentrations were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem MS.