Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
May 06, 2005 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- TEEN BOYS LEAST LIKELY TO PRACTICE SUN SAFETY
A survey by the American Academy of Dermatology shows teenage boys are least likely to protect themselves from harmful sun rays. This may explain why studies show middle-age and older men have higher rates of skin cancer than any other gender or age group, researchers say. Dr. Darrell Rigel, clinical professor of dermatology at New York University Medical Center, says a survey found boys 15-17 are the least careful about skin protection, with only 32 percent -- compared to 58 percent of girls that age -- reporting taking measures to help protect against skin cancer.
BE 'CLOTHES' MINDED IN SUMMER
The sheer, lightweight fabrics of summer fashions may not offer adequate protection from ultraviolet radiation, dermatologists say. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends choosing protective dark colors and tightly woven fabrics. Dr. Susan Weinkle, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the University of South Florida in Tampa, says the effectiveness of clothing in blocking harmful UV rays depends upon fabric construction, fiber content and weave, fabric color, finishing processes and the presence of additives. For example, a white cotton T-shirt has an average sun protection factor of only 7, but a long-sleeve dark denim shirt has an estimated SPF of 1,700. Dark is more protective than light, with white cotton having an SPF of 7 and black, blue or dark green velvet having an approximate SPF of 50, Weinkle says.
HAVING SAFE FUN IN THE SUN
The American Academy of Dermatology advises people who spend time outdoors in the summer to seek shady areas. "There was a 10 percent increase in new cases of melanoma within the past year," says Dr. Clay Cockerell, president of the American Academy of Dermatology. "Dermatologists also are seeing younger and younger patients with skin cancer, making it more important than ever to protect young people from the dangerous rays of the sun." He advises wearing a sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 15 or higher that provides protection from both ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B rays; re-applying sunscreen every two hours or after swimming or strenuous activity; avoiding the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and wearing sun-protective clothing, such as wide-brimmed hats, long-sleeved shirts and sunglasses.
SEPARATE TREATMENTS FOR SEPARATE MALADIES
Doctors advise treating depression and chronic pain with separate therapies. Using functional imaging of the brain, researchers at the University of Michigan Health System and the University of Cologne, Germany, found the level of depression in patients with the chronic pain syndrome fibromyalgia has little influence over the intensity of their pain. This could help explain why treating a patient's depression with an antidepressant without pain-killing properties may have little or no impact on their pain, the study authors reported in Arthritis and Rheumatism. Some 30 percent to 54 percent of people with chronic pain also have a major depressive disorder, says Dr. Daniel Clauw, director of the U-M Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center and professor of rheumatology at the U-M Medical School.
(Editors: For more information about. TEEN, contact Jennifer Allyn at 847-240-1730 or jallyn@aad.org. For CLOTHES, Aisha Ansari at 847-240-1735 or aansari@aad.org. For FUN, Lisa Doty at 847-240-1746 or ldoty@aad.org. For SEPARATE, call 734-764-2220.)
Copyright 2005 by United Press International.
