Beijing, Sleeping in a room exposed to outdoor artificial light at night may increase the risk of developing diabetes, according to a new study conducted in China.
The study, published in the Diabetologia journal, found that people who lived in areas of high light pollution at night were about 28% more likely to develop diabetes than people who lived in the least polluted areas.
However, a lack of darkness affects more than urban areas. Urban light pollution is so widespread that it can affect suburbs and forest parks that may be tens, even hundreds, of miles from the light source, the authors said.
“The study confirms prior research of the potential detrimental effects of light at night on metabolic function and risk for diabetes,” said Dr. Phyllis Zee, director of the Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, who was not involved in the study
Prior research has shown an association between artificial light at night and weight gain and obesity, disruptions in metabolic function, insulin secretion and the development of diabetes, and cardiovascular risk factors.
Source: Oman News Agency
