Researchers at the University of Edinburgh analyzed whether ultraviolet (UV) exposure in low-sunlight regions is associated with better or worse health outcomes, focusing on deaths from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and skin cancer. Using UK Biobank data from 395,000 white European participants across the UK, they linked individual health and genetic records with estimated UV exposure, then assessed mortality patterns.
To quantify UV exposure, the team combined two proxies. First, they used participants’ home locations to calculate average annual solar energy levels, effectively capturing regional differences such as sunnier Cornwall versus gloomier cities like Edinburgh or Glasgow. Second, they incorporated self-reported sunbed use as an additional indicator of higher personal UV exposure. The analysis statistically adjusted for important potential confounders, including smoking, exercise, socioeconomic deprivation, and gender, to reduce the likelihood that these factors, rather than UV exposure, explained any associations.
The central finding was that living in higher-UV areas was associated with lower mortality from major non-skin causes. Residents of locations with more UV, exemplified by Cornwall, had a 19% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and a 12% lower risk of death from cancer than those living in lower-UV places such as Edinburgh or Glasgow. Similarly, people who reported using sunbeds showed a 23% lower risk of cardiovascular death and a 14% lower risk of cancer death compared with non-users, though the authors note that sunbed users may generally be more sun-seeking, so sunbed use may partly mark a broader pattern of higher sun exposure.
Regarding skin cancer, higher estimated UV exposure was associated with a slightly increased risk of being diagnosed with melanoma. However, the study did not find an increased risk of dying from melanoma in those with higher UV exposure. This pattern suggests that while UV exposure may raise melanoma incidence, it does not necessarily translate into higher melanoma mortality in this cohort, though the study does not detail mechanisms or treatment-related factors that might explain this.
Overall, the authors interpret their results as evidence that, in low-sunlight countries and among white European populations, the health benefits of relatively higher UV exposure—namely reduced deaths from cardiovascular disease and non-skin cancers—significantly outweighs the increased risk of death from melanoma. They argue that public health guidance should better balance both risks and benefits of UV exposure in such environments, rather than focusing almost exclusively on skin cancer prevention. At the same time, they stress that protective measures against sunburn and excessive UV are still necessary when UV levels are high, to limit skin damage and skin cancer risk.
The study’s applicability is currently limited to populations and regions resembling the UK sample, as all participants were of white European descent and lived in a relatively low-UV environment. The researchers therefore call for further work in locations with higher UV exposure and in more diverse populations to clarify how generalizable these findings are and to revise sun-exposure recommendations globally. The study was funded by Health Data Research UK and published in the journal Health and Place.
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