Health
Alzheimer’s risk may increase with light pollution, new study finds
Exposure to outdoor light at night could put people at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD), according to a new study published in Frontiers in Neuroscience.
“We show that, in the U.S., there is a positive association between AD prevalence and exposure to light at night, particularly in those under the age of 65,” first author Dr. Robin Voigt-Zuwala, an associate professor at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, said in a press release.
“Nightly light pollution, a modifiable environmental factor, may be an important risk factor for AD.”
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Some common sources of artificial light include streetlamps, vehicles, illuminated signs, office buildings and other lighted structures.
Exposure to outdoor light at night could put people at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study. (iStock)
In the study, researchers analyzed light pollution maps across the country, ranking each state’s “nighttime intensity data.” They then looked at the corresponding levels of Alzheimer’s disease.
For people 65 and older, light pollution was a greater risk factor than obesity, depression, alcohol abuse and chronic kidney disease, the researchers found.
Other risk factors, however — such as high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke — outweighed the risk of light pollution for that age group.
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Those under 65 years old, however, appeared to be more sensitive to nighttime lighting exposure, which increased their Alzheimer’s risk more than any other risk factor.
“Certain genotypes, which influence early-onset AD, impact the response to biological stressors, which could account for increased vulnerability to the effects of nighttime light exposure,” Voigt-Zuwala said in the release.
Previous studies have shown that light pollution is increasing by around 10% each year, causing the night sky to become brighter and reaching approximately 80% of the global population. (iStock)
“Additionally, younger people are more likely to live in urban areas and have lifestyles that may increase exposure to light at night.”
Risks of light pollution
Previous studies have shown that light pollution is increasing by around 10% each year, causing the night sky to become brighter and reaching approximately 80% of the global population.
Light pollution has been shown to disrupt the circadian rhythm and reduce production of the hormone melatonin, which can lead to sleep problems.
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Insufficient sleep, in turn, is a proven risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
One recent study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that getting only five hours of sleep per night can raise the risk of dementia by 30% for people 50 and older.
Among adults who have sleep-related movement disorders, the likelihood of dementia is nearly four times higher, the same study found.
“Constant light exposure disrupts the circadian rhythm and limits the amount of time the brain is in the deeper, restorative stages of sleep.”
Dr. Earnest Lee Murray, a board-certified neurologist at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital in Jackson, Tennessee, was not involved in the study, but spoke with Fox News Digital about the environmental factors that can affect the prevalence of dementia like Alzheimer’s.
“We have known for some time that the lack of quality sleep has detrimental health effects, and this includes an increased risk of developing cognitive difficulties later in life,” he said.
Researchers analyzed light pollution maps across the country, ranking each state’s “nighttime intensity data.” They then looked at the corresponding levels of Alzheimer’s disease. (iStock)
The brain relies on a circadian rhythm to restore itself during sleep, the doctor added.
“Constant light exposure disrupts this circadian rhythm and limits the amount of time the brain is in the deeper, restorative stages of sleep,” Murray said.
Ways to reduce light exposure
Based on the findings, the researchers recommend people take steps to reduce their exposure to light pollution.
“Awareness of the association should empower people — particularly those with risk factors for AD — to make easy lifestyle changes,” said Voigt-Zuwala.
“Easy-to-implement changes include using blackout curtains or sleeping with eye masks,” the researchers said. “This is useful especially for those living in areas with high light pollution.” (iStock)
“Easy-to-implement changes include using blackout curtains or sleeping with eye masks. This is useful especially for those living in areas with high light pollution.”
Although the study only examined outdoor light exposure, the researchers also suggested making changes indoors, such as installing dimmers, using blue light filters and swapping to warm lightbulbs instead of cool.
Some have pushed for regulations to control outdoor lighting exposure.
“The legislation against light pollution is usually very weak and/or not well implemented,” Fabio Falchi, Ph.D., a researcher at the Light Pollution Science and Technology Institute in Italy, told Fox News Digital.
“It is time to start putting limits on this pollutant, too, as with the rest of the other common pollutants.”
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The study did have some limitations, the researchers acknowledged.
The data was gathered from a subset of the U.S. population, they stated, and individual outcomes may vary based on how long someone lived in an area with high light exposure.
“It can clearly be implied that exposure to constant light from devices can lead to cognitive issues later in life,” a neurologist told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
“The study only looked at outdoor light pollution and did not include any type of data from indoor light pollution, such as from cellphones or televisions,” Murray noted.
“However, it can clearly be implied that exposure to constant light from devices can lead to cognitive issues later in life, reinforcing the importance of limiting nocturnal light exposure from cell phones and other devices.”
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The researchers called for more studies into the association between light pollution and Alzheimer’s.
Fox News Digital reached out to the study authors requesting comment.
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An accidental lab discovery has opened the door to entirely new ways of preventing the flu.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells, SWNS reported.
By targeting the specific molecules the viruses rely on, scientists found that they could block them from entering new cells and halt their replication altogether.
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Researchers say these “fundamental insights” into seasonal influenza highlight a clear path toward developing better preventive medications.
“The hope is that fundamental, curiosity-based research like this helps to pave the way for novel strategies to treat and prevent influenza infections,” principal investigator Dr. Emily Bruce, from the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, said in the SWNS report.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells. (iStock)
While several flu strains cause illness, H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A viruses are the most common. However, current flu tests cannot differentiate between them, and clinical treatments are identical for both.
Although vaccines and antivirals are available, Bruce noted a “dire” need for better medications to stop the virus from spreading cell to xxcell.
“You don’t get sick when a virus is in one cell,” he noted. “You get sick because a virus replicates itself and goes into many more cells.”
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The study, which was published in The Journal of Virology, originally aimed to map how viral RNA segments are transported within cells to create new viral particles.
The team used H1N1 and H3N2 viruses isolated from the nasal passages of positive patients in 2022.
Clinical treatments remain identical for both primary strains of the flu virus. (iStock)
During the investigation, the team unexpectedly stumbled upon a cellular pathway that blocked the virus from entering lung cells, SWNS reported.
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The data revealed that when a specific human protein called Rab11B was depleted, H3N2 viruses failed to enter human lung cells. H1N1 viruses were completely unaffected.
Using reverse genetics, the team mapped this defect and uncovered a brand-new, H3N2-specific role for Rab11B during viral entry.
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This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way.
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“Viruses are like pirates from different countries hijacking someone’s ship,” Bruce said. “Different viruses, like different types of pirates, use different methods to get onboard.”
This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way. (iStock)
“We had previously thought that all flu viruses used the same way to get into a cell, but we discovered that this is not true,” she went on. “H1N1 and H3N2 need different proteins to get in, and if you get rid of the right protein, a specific virus can’t get in.”
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While these findings identify a critical cellular pathway for viral entry, the study was conducted using isolated cells, the researchers acknowledged.
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Further research is needed to determine whether blocking the protein is safe and effective within a live, complex human respiratory system.
Bruce and the team hope to conduct further research to determine whether this Rab11B-dependency is a fundamental property of H3N2, or if it’s a trait unique to currently circulating flu strains.
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Eating processed meat like ham, sausage and bacon may be linked to a higher risk of certain types of cancer, according to new research.
While health organizations have already confirmed that processed meat can contribute to colon cancer, this study looked closer at cancers in the upper digestive tract, where the link has historically been less clear.
To understand these connections, researchers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), one of the world’s largest long-term nutrition and cancer cohorts, tracked the health and diets of 450,112 people across Europe for an average of 14 years.
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The study group included 131,426 men and 318,686 women, according to the study’s press release.
During the follow-up period, 876 people developed stomach cancer and 215 people developed esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is cancer of the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.
For female participants, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk of developing the disease. (iStock)
Researchers tracked where the stomach cancers grew, separating them into the upper part of the stomach near the throat and the lower part of the stomach.
The researchers also sorted the tumors into two categories based on how the cancer cells appeared under a microscope: intestinal, which forms more organized structures, and diffuse, in which the cells are more scattered throughout the tissue.
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After adjusting for other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that for every extra 30 grams of processed meat a person ate per day, their overall risk of stomach cancer went up by 9%. Eating that same extra 30 grams a day was also linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
A standard single slice of regular deli-sliced ham or lunch meat averages around 28 grams, according to USDA data and nutritional tracking databases.
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken and turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach. (iStock)
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken or turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach, the researchers noted.
The study also revealed differences between men and women. For male participants, only processed meat showed a clear, statistically significant link to a higher risk of stomach cancer. For female participants, however, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk.
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These findings align with global health benchmarks, particularly those established by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The agency has long classified processed meat as a known human carcinogen, primarily due to its strong, well-documented links to colorectal cancer.
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However, health organizations have also consistently pointed to a potential, yet less definitive, relationship between these meats and cancers of the stomach.
Eating 30 grams of processed meat a day, or the equivalent to one slice of ham, was linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. (iStock)
Further scientific investigation is needed to confirm the findings and to account for other underlying risk factors, such as certain stomach infections, which could interact with dietary habits.
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A key limitation of the study is its reliance on self-reported diets, which can sometimes lead to inaccuracies in how participants recall their meat consumption over time, the researchers noted.
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The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers requesting comment.
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