High blood pressure is a concern for many American men, but new research indicates that blue light may provide a safe and cost-effective alternative to medication.
Reducing blood pressure without drugs
A study from the University of Surrey in the UK and Heinrich Heine University Dusseldorf in Germany determined that blue light exposure appears to produce enough nitric oxide to significantly decrease hypertension.
Although there were only 14 participants, the results were impressive. The research involved 14 men between ages 30 and 60 who had no preexisting hypertension, cardiovascular issues or diabetes.
The men visited the facility where the study was being held twice. The first time, they were exposed to half an hour of whole-body blue light and the other time, they were exposed to half an hour of a control light.
The researchers measured for changes in blood pressure during both visits, as well as things like heart rate, pulse wave velocity, circulating levels of nitric oxide and blood flow to the forearm. They found that after the 30 minutes of blue light therapy, the men had significantly lower systolic blood pressure.
Most impressive is the fact that the decrease was equivalent to or more significant than the effects of typical blood pressure-lowering medications.
As the researchers said, “Our present study demonstrates for the first time that whole-body blue light exposure at doses that are comparable to daily sunlight exposure decreases systolic blood pressure … in young, healthy male volunteers.”
This study’s findings are important, as they indicate that blue light therapy may have the potential to treat hypertension without drugs.
“Exposure to blue light provides an innovative method to precisely control blood pressure without drugs,” says Christian Heiss, one of the study’s authors. “Wearable blue light sources could make continued exposure to light possible and practical.”
Hypertension in the United States
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that hypertension is a primary or contributing cause of nearly 1,000 deaths daily in the United States.
It’s also a risk factor for stroke, heart disease, and kidney disease, making it vital that people with high blood pressure keep it under control. Most people with high blood pressure are currently prescribed medications, but blue light treatment may change that in the future.
