Did you know that about one in five Americans older than 65 have been diagnosed with heart disease?
In fact, heart disease is the most common cause of death in the United States.
That’s why scientists are always looking for new ways to help our hearts stay healthy, especially as we get older.
Shining a Light on a Possible Solution
One group of researchers led by a scientist named Praveen Arany had a bright idea.
They wanted to find out if a special type of light therapy called photobiomodulation (let’s call it PBM for short) could help to delay the onset of heart diseases that often come with age.
How Did They Test Their Idea?
To test their idea, the scientists used middle-aged mice (14 months old to be exact). They exposed the mice to PBM therapy to see if it would affect their heart condition and function.
The good news is that it did! The mice’s hearts improved after they were exposed to PBM therapy.
For example, the therapy stopped their heart walls from getting too thick. A thick heart wall can make the heart pump less effective, just like a stiff bike pump doesn’t work as well as a flexible one.
What’s more, the mice also showed better coordination when running on a treadmill. This suggests that light therapy might also improve how well our muscles and nerves work together.
How Did the Light Therapy Work?
You’re probably wondering how the light therapy worked. The scientists shone a near-infrared light from an overhead LED light source on the mice for two minutes each day, five days a week.
The most exciting part? In one group of mice that usually get a very severe form of heart disease, the disease didn’t progress after they were treated with PBM.
All of the mice in this group survived, compared to only about half who usually survive without the treatment.
How Might This Therapy Work in Humans?
Now, the big question is how this might work in humans. Dr. Arany, the lead scientist, thinks the light therapy might work by increasing the production of a substance in our bodies called transforming growth factor beta (or TGF-β1 for short).
This substance helps regulate things like stem cell activity, inflammation, and immune system function, which all play a big role in our health, especially as we age.
By triggering the activation of TGF-β1, light therapy could help keep our hearts healthy!
What’s Next?
Before we get too excited, it’s important to remember that what works in mice doesn’t always work in humans.
The next step is to carry out clinical trials in humans to see if this therapy can really help to improve heart health and delay the onset of age-related diseases.
Also, while light can be a powerful tool for healing, it’s essential to remember that some types of light can be harmful.
If we use light therapy, we must carefully adjust the color, dose, and exposure time of the light to make sure it’s safe and effective.
This research shines a hopeful light on the fight against heart disease.
The study was funded by the National Institute on Aging. Let’s hope that human trials can illuminate the path to healthier hearts for all of us!
If you care about heart health, please read studies about how eating eggs can help reduce heart disease risk, and herbal supplements could harm your heart rhythm.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about how drinking milk affects the risks of heart disease and cancer, and results showing DASH diet is good for your blood pressure, and a vegetable diet may reduce heart disease risk.
The study was published in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine.
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