Long-Running Study of Twins Helps Discover Factors
Causing Skin to Age
Up to 40 percent of aging-related changes are due
to non-genetic factors
Dec. 21, 2009 - Smoking, being heavier, not using
sunscreen and having had skin cancer appear to be associated with sun
damage and aging of skin on the face, according to report based on a
study of twins in the December issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of
the JAMA/Archives journals.
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telomeres in aging, cancer and maybe immortality; seniors with short
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story
Long-term exposure to the sun causes physical and
structural changes to the skin, resulting in photodamage, according to
background information in the article.
Unlike typical skin aging, which is characterized
by the development of fine wrinkles and skin growths, photodamage
includes characteristics such as coarsely wrinkled skin, spots of extra
pigment or lost pigment and dilated blood vessels on the face.
Sun
damage also has been associated with the development of cancerous
growths. Up to 40 percent of aging-related changes are due to
non-genetic factors.
To identify some of these environmental factors,
Kathryn J. Martires, B.A., of Case Western Reserve School of Medicine,
Cleveland, and colleagues studied 65 pairs of twins attending the 2002
annual Twin Days Festival in Twinsburg, Ohio.
A total of 130 individuals completed surveys
collecting information about skin type, history of skin cancer, smoking
and drinking habits and weight. Clinicians assigned each participant a
photodamage score, graded by such characteristics as wrinkling and
change in pigmentation.
Photodamage scores were highly correlated among
both monozygotic (identical) and dizygotic (fraternal) twins. Other
factors associated with higher levels of photodamage included a history
of skin cancer, heavier weight and smoking, whereas alcohol consumption
was associated with lower photodamage scores.
"The Twins Days Festival provides a rare
opportunity to study a large number of twin pairs to control for genetic
susceptibility. Among the most important results is that a history of
skin cancer and photodamage are highly associated in a population that
shares genetic commonalities," the authors conclude.
"The relationships found between smoking, weight,
sunscreen use, skin cancer and photodamage in these twin pairs may help
to motivate the reduction of risky behaviors."
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Dec. 21, 2009 - Smoking, being heavier, not using
sunscreen and having had skin cancer appear to be associated with sun
damage and aging of skin on the face, according to report based on a
study of twins in the December issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of
the JAMA/Archives journals.