In a new study, researchers found that sunscreen could protect the skin’s blood vessel function from harmful ultraviolet radiation (UVR).
This is because sunscreen could protect the dilation of the blood vessels and protect the blood vessels from sun damage.
The research was conducted by researchers from Pennsylvania State University.
Previous research has shown that UVR from the sun can lead to skin cancer and premature skin aging.
UVR has also been found to reduce nitric oxide-associated dilation of skin blood vessels (vasodilation) because it reduces the amount of nitric oxide in the skin.
Nitric oxide is a compound essential for blood vessel health.
Healthy skin blood vessels are very important for regulating body temperature and responding to heat stress.
In the study, the team focused on the effect of sunscreen or sweat on nitric oxide’s ability to promote vasodilation of skin blood vessels.
They examined healthy young adults with light-to-medium skin tone.
These people were exposed to UVR on one arm while the other arm served as a control and did not receive UVR treatment.
The dosage of UVR was about the equivalent of spending an hour outside on a sunny day without sunburn.
On the UVR-exposed arm of each participant, three places received different treatments: one site received UVR only, a second site received UVR with chemical sunscreen, and a third site received UVR with simulated sweat.
The team found that the UVR-only site had less nitric oxide-associated vasodilation than in the control arm.
However, the sunscreen- and sweat-treated sites did not show these reductions in nitric oxide-associated vasodilation.
Moreover, when sunscreen was applied prior to UVR, UVR exposure actually augmented compared to the control arm or when sweat was on the skin.
The team suggests that the presence of sunscreen or sweat on the skin may help protect this effect of UVR.
They suggest that people who spend a lot of time working or exercising outdoors should use sunscreen.
This is because sunscreen may protect not only against skin cancer but also protect skin blood vessel function.
The lead author of the study is S. Tony Wolf, MA.
The study was presented at the American Physiological Society’s (APS) annual meeting at Experimental Biology 2019 in Orlando, Fla.
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