Nighttime Light Exposure Linked to Higher Alzheimer’s Risk: Study

Though city lights illuminate the night, they and other forms of light may disrupt our circadian rhythms, potentially making people more vulnerable to disease.

TSV-art/Shutterstock

The glow of city lights may be doing more than helping us find our way at night—it could be increasing our risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

New research, published in Frontiers in Neuroscience, suggests a link between nighttime light pollution and the prevalence of the degenerative brain condition.

Circadian Rhythm Disruption

The hypothesis is that light pollution negatively affects health by disrupting our natural circadian rhythms, which act as the “clock” by which our bodies time critical biological functions, Robin Voigt-Zuwala, associate professor at Rush University Medical Center and the study’s first author, told The Epoch Times. These rhythms regulate nearly every aspect of biology including sleep, wakefulness, and the biochemical processes.