Treatment with narrow-band UV-B rays may increase serum levels of vitamin D in the wintertime while clearing psoriasis, according to a report in the Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Psoriasis affects 1.5% to 3% of the population. Abnormalities in vitamin D metabolism may be partly responsible for the development and worsening of this skin condition.
“Most vitamin D is obtained by skin production following exposure to solar UV-B, while less than 15% is obtained from dietary sources such as oily fish and fortified foods,” the authors write.
Narrowband UV-B treatment has become the standard light therapy for psoriasis. Caitriona Ryan, then of St. Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin, and now of Baylor Research Institute, Dallas, and colleagues assessed 30 consecutive patients with psoriasis who were treated with narrowband UV-B three times per week until their psoriasis cleared.
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Tags: Dermatology
