Variation in ultraviolet radiation and diabetes: evidence of an epigenetic effect that modulates diabetics' lifespan.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Published research has shown that month-of-birth variations modulate the incidence of adult human diseases. This article explores diabetes type 2 as one of those diseases. This study uses the death records of approximately 829,000 diabetics (approximately 90% were type-2) born before the year 1945 (and dying between 1979 and 2005) to show that variations in adult lifespan vary with ultraviolet radiation (UVR) at solar cycle peaks (MAX, approximately a three-year period) with less at non-peaks (MIN, approximately an eight-year period). The MAX minus MIN (in years) was our measure of sensitivity (for example, responsiveness) to long-term variations in UVR.

Results

Diabetics were less sensitive than non-diabetics, and ethnic minorities were more sensitive than whites

SUBMITTER: Davis GE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3639074 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature