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Tanning beds compliant with EU standard did not produce sustainable 25-hydroxyvitamin-D3 levels

Use of tanning beds compliant with the European Union standard of irradiance induced a temporary increase of 25-hydroxyvitamin-D3 serum levels but not sustained levels, according to study results published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

The recent European Union standard recommends that the total effective irradiance must not exceed 0.3 W/m² weighted according to the erythema action spectrum.

Researchers conducted a controlled study of 54 volunteers (38 females) who intended to initiate tanning bed use, with 31 randomly assigned to the tanning bed intervention arm and 23 into the control arm. Volunteers were excluded if they had Fitzpatrick skin type 1, tanning bed use within the last 3 months or use of vitamin D supplements.

The tanning beds used were compliant with the E.U. standard. The tanning bed cohort had tanning bed exposure twice weekly compared with the controls, who had no tanning bed exposure.

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin-D3 serum (25[OH]D) levels were measured at enrollment and at week 12, the completion of the study. In the tanning bed group, serum measurements were also taken at 1 week after the start of the tanning bed exposure.

All volunteers completed a 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being (WHO-5) index at the beginning and end of the study.

Fifty patients completed the study.

There was a 27% increase of mean 25(OH)D levels 1 week after starting the tanning bed in the tanning bed cohort (P < .01). The mean 25(OH)D levels declined after 12 weeks of tanning bed use and did not differ from baseline levels (P = .06).

The 25(OH)D levels did not significantly differ between the tanning bed cohort and the controls at 12 weeks. There also was no significant difference in the WHO-5 index score between the cohorts.

“The purported benefits of regular use of sunbeds have been controversial,” the researchers wrote. “Several investigations clearly showed an association between regular sunbed use and different cutaneous cancers.”

“Our study showed only a transient impact of sunbed use on vitamin-D levels,” the researchers concluded. “The sunbed use compliant with the new E.U. standards does not contribute to a sustainable increase of vitamin-D serum levels nor does it improved self-reported well-being.” – by Bruce Thiel

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.