Excessive light pollution may increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, especially in young people.
Scientists have found that exposure to outdoor light at night may increase the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease more than many other risk factors for people under 65, according to a study conducted by researchers at Rush University Medical Center in the US, Frontiers reports.
In some places around the world, the lights never go out. Street lights, roadway lighting, and illuminated signs can deter crime, make roads safer, and improve landscaping. But constant light has environmental, behavioral, and health consequences, the article notes.
Yes, some states in the United States have legislation aimed at reducing light pollution, but light levels at night remain high in many parts of the country. So scientists decided to study the correlation between outdoor nighttime light pollution and Alzheimer’s disease.
In the study, scientists analyzed light pollution maps in 48 US states, combining them with medical data on the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
The results showed that:
- For people aged 65 and older, the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease is more closely associated with nighttime light pollution than with some other disease factors, including alcohol abuse, chronic kidney disease, depression, and obesity. Other risk factors, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and stroke, are more closely associated with Alzheimer’s disease than light pollution;
- However, for people under age 65, higher nighttime light intensity was associated with a higher prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease than any other risk factor considered in the study.
This may indicate that young people may be particularly sensitive to the effects of nighttime light, the researchers said.
It is not yet clear why young people may be more vulnerable. Scientists believe it may be due to individual differences in sensitivity to light.
Certain genotypes that influence early-onset Alzheimer’s disease affect responses to biological stressors, which may explain increased vulnerability to the effects of nighttime light, the researchers note. – In addition, young people are more likely to live in cities and lead lifestyles that may increase the impact of nighttime light.
Therefore, scientists are calling for measures to reduce the impact of night-time light pollution, such as:
- using blackout curtains or sleeping with eye masks;
- the use of light filters in home lighting that block the blue spectrum of light, which has the greatest impact on sleep, and the transition to “warm” light, as well as the installation of devices that regulate the power of lighting.
Source: Frontiers
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I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.