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.

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.”

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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.

Gut health has been linked to a common neurological disorder in a new study.

Those who have sustained damage to the upper lining of their gastrointestinal (GI) tract are 76% more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease, according to research led by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston.

The findings were published in JAMA Network Open on Sept. 5.

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The study included 9,350 patients (averaging 52 years of age) who underwent an upper endoscopy — a procedure that examines the esophagus, stomach and first portion of the small intestine — between 2000 and 2005 within the Mass General Brigham system.

Those who had “mucosal damage” were shown to have an elevated risk, the researchers found.

Parkinson’s disease was diagnosed an average of 14.2 years after the damage was detected, the study showed.

Mucosa, also called the mucous membrane, is the “soft tissue that lines the body’s canals and organs in the digestive, respiratory and reproductive systems,” according to Cleveland Clinic. 

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“When asked, many of my patients with Parkinson’s disease will say, ‘Come to think of it, yeah, I started to get bad constipation or nausea, years before anyone diagnosed me with Parkinson’s,’” lead study author Trisha Pasricha, MD, a gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and an instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, told Fox News Digital.

“We now know that gut symptoms like these herald a future diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.”

The study included 9,350 patients who underwent an upper endoscopy, a procedure that examines the esophagus, stomach and first portion of the small intestine. (iStock)

Dr. Earnest Lee Murray, a board-certified neurologist at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital in Jackson, Tennessee, was not involved in the study, but confirmed that gastrointestinal dysfunction is very common in patients with Parkinson’s. 

“Motor symptoms, such as stiffness, tremors and difficulty walking, are the stereotypical features of Parkinson’s,” Murray said. 

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“However, there are several non-motor symptoms that are often seen, the most common being gastrointestinal dysfunction, especially constipation and difficulty swallowing.”

These gastrointestinal symptoms can appear years before the motor symptoms, the neurologist added.

Patients who had “mucosal damage” were shown to have an elevated risk, the researchers found. (iStock)

“Given the prominence of early gastrointestinal issues in Parkinson’s, there has been a theory suggesting that the pathology that causes Parkinson’s can originate in the GI tract and travel to the brain via the vagus nerve,” Murray said. 

“This study gives additional evidence to the ‘gut-first’ theory.” 

Causes and prevention of upper GI damage

Many factors can cause damage to the mucosal lining, Pasricha said. 

“Those include taking NSAIDs like ibuprofen, drinking alcohol, stress or bacteria like H. pylori,” she said.

“Our study only examined people whose stomach symptoms were so severe that they sought an upper endoscopy to investigate the etiology, but we all experience small amounts of damage to our gut lining throughout our lives for various reasons.”

Gastrointestinal symptoms can appear years before the motor symptoms, such as tremors and stiffness, a neurologist said. (iStock)

It is not clear how those frequent, smaller amounts of damage impact the risk of Parkinson’s, the doctor noted. 

“Nonetheless, I advise my patients — regardless of their risk of any neurological disease — that minimizing NSAIDs, reducing stress and cutting down on alcohol will only help their gut health,” she added.

As Murray noted, Parkinson’s is caused by a depletion of the neurotransmitter dopamine — which leads to slowed muscle movements, stiffness and tremors — and is also involved in the integrity of the GI tract. 

Parkinson’s is caused by a depletion of the neurotransmitter dopamine — which leads to slowed muscle movements, stiffness and tremors — and is also involved in the integrity of the GI tract, a neurologist said. (iStock)

“As the study authors point out, we don’t know if the injury to the GI tissue triggers a depletion in dopamine or if the destruction of the GI tissue is the earliest sign of an issue with dopamine that eventually leads to more stereotypical Parkinson’s symptoms,” he told Fox News Digital.

Potential study limitations

While the study reveals a “strong link” between injury to the upper gastrointestinal tract and later development of Parkinson’s disease, Pasricha noted that the mechanisms leading to this effect are not yet known. 

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The study did not include cases of Parkinson’s that were diagnosed outside the Mass General Brigham system, the researchers noted.

“The brain-gut connection is really a two-way street.”

Due to the small sample sizes in the study — and the risk of “confounding variables” that could introduce a measure of bias — the research team called for additional studies to confirm the association.

“The brain-gut connection is really a two-way street,” said Pasricha.

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“The gut can exert an enormous influence on the brain in ways we are still only beginning to understand — but when we do,​ we might be able to open new avenues for early intervention and treatment strategies for many diseases.”

The study was funded by grants from the National Institute on Aging, the American Gastroenterological Association and Harvard University.

After summer reruns, game shows will be airing fresh episodes of your favorites this month. 

Whether it’s watching participants “come on down” on “The Price Is Right,” solving word puzzles on “Wheel of Fortune” with new show host Ryan Seacrest, or proving your trivia smarts against friends and family on “Jeopardy!” — the benefits you’re reaping can go beyond entertainment. 

Game shows can boost your problem-solving skills, improve memory and strengthen your mind, according to experts.  

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Here’s more about why watching game shows is truly more than just fun and games.

How do game shows boost mind health?

You may not realize it, but when you interact with the game shows you’re watching, your mind is actually processing information and working. 

“Game shows have a number of cognitively stimulating features that could provide cognitive benefits,” said Glen R. Finney, M.D., FAAN, a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology.

He is also director of the Memory and Cognition Program with Geisinger Health in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. 

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He noted that game shows often require contestants and those playing along at home to pay close attention, to quickly process information provided for the game, and to either problem-solve or recall knowledge, or both, to answer the game show task. 

Game shows often require contestants and those playing along at home to pay close attention and to quickly process information provided for the game. 

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“This engages numerous networks in the brain in an engaging and enjoyable way, which also enhances learning,” added Finney.  

Vanna White and Ryan Seacrest attend the WOF S42 – Pier Wheel Launch at Santa Monica Pier on Aug. 30, 2024 in Santa Monica, California.  (Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for CBS Media Ventures / Sony Pictures Television)

“We know that engaging in regular cognitive activities like this that challenge you can boost mental acuity.”

Can game shows boost memory acuity? 

Watching game shows may help access previous information you’ve previously learned, in the case of shows like “Jeopardy!” 

“As we age, we actually tend to hold onto the long-term semantic memory or memory for general knowledge that we previously learned,” said Ashley Curtis, PhD, assistant professor and director of the Cognition, Aging, Sleep and Health Lab at the College of Nursing at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. 

“What we start to lose as we age is the ability to access this information quickly,” she said.

“What game shows like ‘Jeopardy!’ can do is to train and improve the ability to access this stored memory information more quickly, which could prove beneficial in everyday life.” (iStock)

“What game shows like ‘Jeopardy!’ can do is to train and improve the ability to access this stored memory information more quickly, which could prove beneficial in everyday life, particularly for older adults.”

How can game shows help overall mood?

There’s also some evidence showing that playing along with these types of game shows can improve cognitive and social engagement, which is known to be associated with better overall mental health, said Curtis.

You can watch with friends and family, or can connect via a webchat while playing. 

“The virtual and potentially in-person shared social interactions and engagement that occur while playing along with these types of game shows have been associated with better psychological well-being.” (iStock)

And, if you live in a place where others reside, such as a residential facility for older adults, shared interactions can also prove beneficial to your cognitive health. 

“Yes, the virtual and potentially in-person shared social interactions and engagement that occur while playing along with these types of game shows have been associated with better psychological well-being,” Curtis told Fox News Digital. 

What about intergenerational benefits? 

If you’re a grandparent who plays game shows with your grandchildren, or a family who watches game shows together, Curtis noted that “there is some emerging evidence showing that intergenerational engagement, which could potentially be achieved through shared TV game play, may lead to several important benefits for both older and younger individuals.”

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This includes, said Curtis, “reductions in anxiety and general loneliness, increased self-esteem and even increased physical activity levels.”

Although she noted there’s limited research regarding the cognitive benefits of these intergenerational interactions, she said that “some emerging evidence suggests this activity can also provide some improvement to more complex cognitive functions.”

“Research shows that active, rather than passive, mental activity is most beneficial for our overall health.” (iStock)

“More rigorous research needs to be conducted in this area to conclusively determine the range of these benefits,” she said. 

What can you do to augment your game-show interest? 

If you see a topic on “Jeopardy!” that interests you — such as American literature — or are intrigued by a trip to Italy in the “Showcase Showdown” on “The Price Is Right,” consider diving deeper into that subject or destination. 

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Find a classic book to read, research Italian recipes — or learn about the culture in new places.

“Keeping both your brain and body active is beneficial to our mental and physical health as we age.” 

“Research shows that active, rather than passive, mental activity is most beneficial for our overall health,” Curtis told Fox News Digital. 

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“So, keeping both your brain and body active is beneficial to our mental and physical health as we age.”  

And, if traveling to new places you see on TV game shows is within your budget, plan that, too.

“Although the research in this area is still inconclusive, there is some emerging evidence suggesting that in older adults (aged 65 and up), increased levels of leisure travel can promote better cognitive functioning and decrease the risk of developing dementia as well as depression,” she also said.