Exposure to light during sleep raises risk of high blood pressure, diabetes in older adults, says US study
Even dim light can disturb sleep, increasing the risk of serious health problems such as blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity in older adults, according to a new study carried out in the USA. The findings of the research were published in the journal 'SLEEP'. In a sample of older men and women ages, 63 to 84, those who were exposed to any amount of light while sleeping at night were significantly more likely to be obese, and have high blood pressure and diabetes compared to adults who were not exposed to any light during the night, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study. Light exposure was measured with a wrist-worn device and tracked over seven days. This is a real-world (not experimental) study demonstrating the prevalence of any light exposure at night being linked to higher obesity, high blood pressure (known as hypertension) and diabetes among older adults. It will be published on June 22 in the journal SLEEP. Read more