Association between Height and Actinic Keratosis: A Nationwide Population-based Study in South Korea

The association between actinic keratosis (AK) and anthropometric measures has not been investigated. This study aims to evaluate the associations between anthropometric measures and the incidence of AK in South Korea. We analyzed clinical data from individuals aged over 20 years who received a health examination arranged by the national insurance program between 2005 and 2008. Newly diagnosed AK was identified using claims data from baseline to the date of diagnosis or until December 31, 2015. The incidence of AK was highest among the elderly (aged over 60 years) and showed a male bias. The risk of AK increased with greater height. The quintile with the greatest height had an increased risk of AK compared with the quintile with the lowest height (hazard ratio = 1.28, 95% confidence interval: 1.24-1.33) after adjustment for age, sex, income, smoking status, alcohol consumption, hypertension, dyslipidemia, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This study showed a positive association between the incidence of AK and human height. However, it is unclear whether these findings can be generalized to Koreans who have not received an examination or to populations in other countries.