Journal Article

Effect of a low-fat diet on the incidence of actinic keratosis

Black, H.S, Foreyt, J.P, Rosen, T, Tschen, J.A, Bruce, S, Herd, J.A, Wolf, J.E. Jr, Scott, L.W, Goldberg, L.H, Thornby, J.I

1994

Overview

Background. Actinic keratoses are premalignant lesions and are a sensitive and important manifestation of sun-induced skin damage. Studies in animals have shown that dietary fat influences the incidence of sun-induced skin cancer, but the effect of diet on the incidence of actinic keratosis in humans is not known. Methods. We randomly assigned 76 patients with nonmelanoma skin cancer either to continue their usual diet (control group) or to eat a diet with 20 percent of total caloric intake as fat (dietary-intervention group). For 24 months, the patients were examined for the presence of new actinic keratoses by physicians unaware of their assigned diets. Results. At base line, the mean (+/- SD) percentage of caloric intake as fat was 40 +/- 4 percent in the control group and 39 +/- 3 percent in the dietary-intervention group. After 4 months of dietary therapy the percentage of calories as fat had decreased to 21 percent in the dietary-intervention group, and it remained below this level throughout the 24-month study period. The percentage of calories as fat in the control group did not fall below 36 percent at any time. The cumulative number of new actinic keratoses per patient from months 4 through 24 was 10 +/- 13 in the control group and 3 +/- 7 in the dietary-intervention group (P = 0.001). Conclusions. In patients with a history of nonmelanoma skin cancer, a low-fat diet reduces the incidence of actinic keratosis

• Publisher: Massachusetts Medical Society
• Subject: Addictive behaviors / administration & dosage / adverse effects / Biological and medical sciences / Calories / Carcinoma, Basal Cell / Carcinoma, Basal Cell - diet therapy / Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - diet therapy / Cardiovascular disease / Confidence Intervals / CORPS GRAS / Dermatology / Diet / diet therapy / DIETA / DIETA TERAPEUTICA / dietary fat / Dietary Fats / Dietary Fats - administration & dosage / energy intake / ENFERMEDADES DE LA PIEL / Epidemiology / etiology / Female / FEMME / Follow-Up Studies / GRASAS / HOMBRES / HOMME / Humans / hyperkeratosis / Incidence / INGESTION DE NUTRIENTES / INGESTION DE SUBSTANCES NUTRITIVES / Keratosis / Keratosis - etiology / Logistic Models / MALADIE DE LA PEAU / Male / Medical research / Medical sciences / men / Middle Aged / MUJERES / NUTRICION HUMANA / nutrient intake / NUTRITION HUMAINE / Nutrition research / nutritional intervention / Odds Ratio / Oils & fats / Patients / Precancerous Conditions / Precancerous Conditions - etiology / REGIME ALIMENTAIRE / REGIME ALIMENTAIRE THERAPEUTIQUE / Risk Factors / Skin cancer / Skin Neoplasms / Skin Neoplasms - diet therapy / Sunlight / Sunlight - adverse effects / Tumors / Tumors of the skin and soft tissue. Premalignant lesions / VALEUR CALORIQUE / VALOR CALORICO / women / Womens health