Scientists discover a link between red light and blood clots

Follow-up - INA

A study conducted by scientists and surgeons from the University of Pittsburgh showed that humans and mice exposed to long-wave red light have lower rates of blood clots that can cause heart attacks, lung damage and strokes.

Dr. Elizabeth Andraska said: "The light we are exposed to can change our biological processes and change our health, and our findings could lead to a relatively inexpensive treatment that would benefit millions of people."
Heart attacks and strokes are more likely to occur in the morning hours than at night.

To test this idea, the researchers exposed mice to 12 hours of red, blue or white light, followed by 12 hours of darkness, in a 72-hour cycle, and then looked for differences in blood clots between the groups. Mice exposed to red light had about 5 times fewer clots than mice exposed to blue or white light.

The team also analyzed existing data from more than 10,000 cataract surgery patients who received either conventional lenses that transmit the full spectrum of visible light, or blue-light-filtered lenses, which transmit about 50% less blue light.

They found that those who received blue-light-filtered lenses had a lower risk of blood clots than their counterparts who wore conventional lenses.

These findings reveal a fascinating puzzle about how the light we are exposed to every day affects our body’s response to injury,” said lead researcher Matthew Neal.

The study suggests that the optical pathway is key: the wavelength of light had no effect in blind mice, and shining light directly into the blood also did not cause changes in clotting.

The team found that exposure to red light was associated with less inflammation and immune activation.