Exposure to light at night disrupts the circadian rhythm, a known risk factor for adverse cardiovascular outcomes. However, the relationship between nighttime light exposure and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk remains poorly understood. To address this, researchers examined the association between light exposure and CVD risk in 88,905 individuals aged over 40 years.
During a 9.5-year follow-up period, the study found that exposure to bright light at night significantly increased the risk of developing coronary artery disease (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 1.32), myocardial infarction (aHR: 1.47), heart failure (aHR: 1.56), atrial fibrillation (aHR: 1.32), and stroke (aHR: 1.28). Remarkably, these associations persisted even after adjusting for established cardiovascular risk factors such as physical activity, smoking, alcohol intake, diet, sleep duration, socioeconomic status, and…
