Eye-Opening New Study Links Nighttime Light Pollution To Increased Risk Of Heart Disease

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00:00Eye-opening new study links nighttime light pollution to increased risk of heart disease.

00:05A new study finds that higher exposure to artificial light at night is linked to increased

00:10stress activity in the brain and a higher risk of artery inflammation and heart disease.

00:16Researchers reviewed brain scans of 450 adults without heart disease and compared them with

00:20satellite data, identifying a clear biological pathway between nighttime light pollution

00:26and cardiovascular risk.

00:28In short, close the curtains and ditch the screens before bed.

00:32We know that environmental factors, such as air and noise pollution, can lead to heart

00:36disease by affecting our nerves and blood vessels through stress.

00:40Light pollution is very common.

00:41However, we don't know much about how it affects the heart, study senior author Dr. Shady Abu

00:46Hashem, head of cardiac PET-CT imaging trials at Massachusetts General Hospital, said in a

00:53statement published by the American Heart Association.

00:56The study found that every increase in the level of artificial night light a person was

01:00exposed to was associated with an increased risk of heart disease over five and ten year

01:05follow-up periods.

01:07It also showed heart risks were higher among participants who lived in areas with additional

01:11social or environmental stress, such as high traffic noise or lower neighborhood income.

01:17We found a nearly linear relationship between nighttime light and heart disease.

01:21The more night light exposure, the higher the risk.

01:24Even modest increases in nighttime light were linked with higher brain and artery stress,

01:28said Abu Hashem.

01:29When the brain perceives stress, it activates signals that can trigger an immune response and

01:34inflame the blood vessels.

01:36Over time, this process can contribute to hardening of the arteries and increase the risk of heart

01:41attack and stroke.

01:42Abu Hashem recommends cities reduce unnecessary outdoor lighting, shield street lamps, or use

01:48motion-sensitive lights.

01:50In the home, he suggests limiting indoor nighttime light, keeping bedrooms dark and avoiding screens

01:55such as TVs and personal electronic devices before bed.

01:59The researchers did add a couple of caveats to their study, however.

02:02First, it is an observational study, so they cannot prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship.

02:08Second, the study included participants from only one hospital system, so the findings do

02:13not accurately represent a larger population group.