Nighttime Light Exposure Linked to Adverse Cardiac Remodeling

FRIDAY, Sept. 11, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Greater nighttime light exposure is associated with adverse cardiac remodeling and with increased risks for cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to a study published online Sept. 9 in the European Heart Journal.Jin Dai, Ph.D., from Tulane University in New Orleans, and colleagues conducted a population-based cohort study involving 11,071 U.K. Biobank participants who wore a wrist-worn accelerometer with an integrated light sensor for seven days between 2013 and 2015 and underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging three years later.The researchers found that high versus no nighttime light exposure >3 lux was associated with left ventricular (LV) concentric hypertrophy and subclinical functional decline, after multivariable adjustment, including 2.4, 1.5, and 1.9 percent greater LV mass indexed to height, greater mean wall thickness, and lower myocardial contraction fraction, respectively. There was an association seen for nighttime light exposure with impaired myocardial deformation, including lower absolute global LV circumferential, radial, and longitudinal strain indices (−2.7, −2.9, and −2.8 percent). There were also adverse associations observed for the right ventricle, including 0.9 and 1.6 percent greater end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes indexed, respectively, and for the left atrium, including 2.3 and 1.1 percent greater maximum volume indexed and lower ejection fraction, respectively. Linear dose-response relationships were exhibited for all associations; most were partially mediated by shorter sleep duration."Light pollution has emerged as a new risk factor for cardiovascular disease," lead author Lu Qi, M.D., Ph.D., also from Tulane University, said in a statement. "Our findings, together with evidence from other studies, suggest that reduction of nighttime light exposure should be considered as one of the potential strategies for preventing heart disease by clinicians and policy makers."Abstract/Full TextEditorial.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Nighttime Light Exposure Linked to Adverse Cardiac Remodeling

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