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Volume 18
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10.3390/ijerph182010950
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Review

Sunlight Exposure and Phototherapy: Perspectives for Healthy Aging in an Era of COVID-19

by
Toshiaki Nakano
1,2,*,
Kuei-Chen Chiang
1,2,
Chien-Chih Chen
2,3,
Po-Jung Chen
1,
Chia-Yun Lai
2,
Li-Wen Hsu
1,2,
Naoya Ohmori
4,5,
Takeshi Goto
4,5,
Chao-Long Chen
2 and
Shigeru Goto
2,4,6,*
1
Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan
2
Liver Transplantation Center, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan
3
Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan
4
Faculty of Nursing, Josai International University, Togane 283-8555, Japan
5
Kazusa Institute for Drug Discovery, Josai International University, Togane 283-8555, Japan
6
Nobeoka Medical Check Center, Fukuoka Institution of Occupational Health, Nobeoka 882-0872, Japan
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(20), 10950; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010950
Submission received: 25 August 2021 / Revised: 12 October 2021 / Accepted: 13 October 2021 / Published: 18 October 2021
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Active and Healthy Ageing)
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Abstract

Most humans depend on sunlight exposure to satisfy their requirements for vitamin D3. However, the destruction of the ozone layer in the past few decades has increased the risk of skin aging and wrinkling caused by excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which may also promote the risk of skin cancer development. The promotion of public health recommendations to avoid sunlight exposure would reduce the risk of skin cancer, but it would also enhance the risk of vitamin D3 insufficiency/deficiency, which may cause disease development and progression. In addition, the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic may further reduce sunlight exposure due to stay-at-home policies, resulting in difficulty in active and healthy aging. In this review article, we performed a literature search in PubMed and provided an overview of basic and clinical data regarding the impact of sunlight exposure and vitamin D3 on public health. We also discuss the potential mechanisms and clinical value of phototherapy with a full-spectrum light (notably blue, red, and near-infrared light) as an alternative to sunlight exposure, which may contribute to combating COVID-19 and promoting active and healthy aging in current aged/superaged societies.
Keywords: sunlight; phototherapy; vitamin D3; alarmins; microbiota; COVID-19 sunlight; phototherapy; vitamin D3; alarmins; microbiota; COVID-19

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Nakano, T.; Chiang, K.-C.; Chen, C.-C.; Chen, P.-J.; Lai, C.-Y.; Hsu, L.-W.; Ohmori, N.; Goto, T.; Chen, C.-L.; Goto, S. Sunlight Exposure and Phototherapy: Perspectives for Healthy Aging in an Era of COVID-19. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 10950. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010950

AMA Style

Nakano T, Chiang K-C, Chen C-C, Chen P-J, Lai C-Y, Hsu L-W, Ohmori N, Goto T, Chen C-L, Goto S. Sunlight Exposure and Phototherapy: Perspectives for Healthy Aging in an Era of COVID-19. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(20):10950. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010950

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nakano, Toshiaki, Kuei-Chen Chiang, Chien-Chih Chen, Po-Jung Chen, Chia-Yun Lai, Li-Wen Hsu, Naoya Ohmori, Takeshi Goto, Chao-Long Chen, and Shigeru Goto. 2021. "Sunlight Exposure and Phototherapy: Perspectives for Healthy Aging in an Era of COVID-19" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 20: 10950. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010950

APA Style

Nakano, T., Chiang, K.-C., Chen, C.-C., Chen, P.-J., Lai, C.-Y., Hsu, L.-W., Ohmori, N., Goto, T., Chen, C.-L., & Goto, S. (2021). Sunlight Exposure and Phototherapy: Perspectives for Healthy Aging in an Era of COVID-19. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(20), 10950. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010950

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