Low UVB countries have higher leukemia rates – July 2011

Ultraviolet B and Incidence Rates of Leukemia Worldwide

American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Volume 41, Issue 1, July 2011, Pages 68-74
Sharif B. Mohr MPHa, Cedric F. Garland DrPHa, b, Corresponding Author, Edward D. Gorham PhDa, b, William B. Grant PhDd and Frank C. Garland DrPHa, c, low asterisk

• a Division of Epidemiology, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
• b Department of Health Sciences and Epidemiology, Naval Health Research Center, San Diego, California
• c Office of the Technical Director, Naval Health Research Center, San Diego, California
• d Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center, San Francisco, California

Background: Recent research has suggested a relationship between vitamin D deficiency and risk of leukemia.

Purpose: Using data from the UN cancer database, GLOBOCAN, this study will determine whether a relationship exists for latitude and ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiance with incidence rates of leukemia in 175 countries.

Methods: Multiple regression was used to analyze the independent association between UVB and age-adjusted incidence rates of leukemia in 139 countries in 2002. This study controlled for dietary data on intake of energy from animal sources and per capita healthcare expenditures. The analyses were performed in 2009.

Results: People residing in the highest-latitude countries had the highest rates of leukemia in both men (R2=0.34, p<0.0001) and women (R2=0.24, p<0.0001). In men, UVB was independently inversely associated with leukemia incidence rates (p?0.001), whereas animal energy consumption (p=0.02) and per capita healthcare expenditures (p?0.0001) were independently positively associated (R2 for model=0.61, p?0.0001). In women, UVB adjusted for cloud cover was independently inversely associated with leukemia incidence rates (p?0.01), whereas animal energy consumption (p?0.05) and per capita healthcare expenditures (p=0.0002) were independently positively associated (R2 for model=0.51, p<0.0001).

Conclusions: Countries with low UVB had higher age-adjusted incidence rates of leukemia. This suggests the possibility that low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status, because of lower levels of UVB, somehow might predict the development of leukemia.

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See also Vitamin D Life

• all items in Cancer- Leukemia - Vitamin D 16 items
• Hypothesis - Cancer protection related to solar ultraviolet radiation, altitude and vitamin D PDF
• Decreased mortality with sun and or altitude
  • Decreased mortality with sun and or altitude 7 studies of 10 to 20 years each April 2010
• Vitamin D and Cancer PDF
• Far from equator 111 items
• Mortality and Cancer varies with latitude in France too – 2010 also authored by Dr. Grant
• CLICK HERE for >100 articles mentioning WB Grant
• Brain cancer in 175 countries related to low UVB and low vitamin D – Oct 2010
  • authors: Mohr SB, Gorham ED, Garland CF, Grant WB, Garland FC.
• UV decreased breast cancer risk by up to 2X – June 2011
• China has documented that less UV results in more cancer – June 2010
  • esophagus, stomach, colon and rectum, liver, lung, breast, and bladder
• Breast Cancer vs latitude Gapminder
  • Great U shaped curve
• No reduction in Breast Cancer when vitamin D less than 40 ng - May 2011
• UV and vitamin D 334 items
• Overview Cancer and vitamin D
• UVB and vitamin D inversely associated with pancreatic cancer April 2010
• Less Leukemia where there is more UVB (Vitamin D, 172 countries) – Dec 2015
  updated, by same authors as on this page, compensating for low-level clouds