Biological clock disruption and diabetes
The research shows a positive correlation between nighttime outdoor light brightness and levels of glycated hemoglobin, fasting blood glucose, postprandial 2-hour blood glucose, and insulin resistance index. Conversely, there is a negative correlation with the beta-cell function index of the pancreas. In other words, the brighter the outdoor light at night, the greater the issues with glucose metabolism.
Furthermore, the researchers found that for every increase in one quartile of nighttime outdoor light exposure, the risk of developing diabetes increased by 7%. This suggests that artificial lighting at night may be a new potential risk factor for diabetes.
These results were obtained after considering various factors including age, gender, education level, smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity, family history of diabetes, household income, urban or rural residence, use of antihypertensive and lipid-lowering medications, and body mass index.
How does light exposure relate to diabetes? The underlying cause may be the disruption of the biological clock, leading to changes in physiological and metabolic factors, including activity levels, body temperature, food intake, lipid distribution, insulin sensitivity, glucose metabolism, and levels of plasma melatonin, glucocorticoids, and fatty acids.
Regardless, the issue of nighttime light pollution should be taken seriously. Previous research has also shown that nighttime light exposure increases the risk of hospitalization and mortality in coronary heart disease patients.
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