Overview
- Researchers reported that higher residential exposure to artificial light at night correlated with elevated brain stress activity and arterial inflammation on PET/CT, with associations persisting after adjustments for noise and socioeconomic factors.
- The team estimated exposure using the 2016 New World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness linked to participants’ home addresses, reflecting widespread urban light pollution.
- During follow-up, about 17% of participants experienced major cardiovascular events, and investigators said each standard-deviation increase in exposure was tied to roughly 35% higher risk at 5 years and 22% at 10 years.
- Authors emphasized that the single-center analysis is observational and not proof of causation, and they called for larger, more diverse studies and interventional trials.
- Suggested steps included shielding or dimming outdoor lighting, using motion sensors, darkening bedrooms with curtains, and limiting bright screens before bedtime.