Light Exposure at Night and Cardiovascular Disease Incidence
Daniel P Windred1, Angus C Burns2,3,4,5, Martin K Rutter6,7
1Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute (Sleep Health), Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia.
JAMA Network Open
|October 23, 2025
Summary
Exposure to light at night significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, including heart attack and stroke. Reducing nighttime light exposure may be a key strategy for cardiovascular disease prevention.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular epidemiology
- Chronobiology
- Environmental health
Background:
- Circadian disruption from light at night is a known cardiovascular risk factor.
- The precise relationship between light exposure patterns and cardiovascular disease incidence requires further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between day and night light exposure and the incidence of cardiovascular diseases.
- To determine if genetic susceptibility, sex, or age modify the link between light exposure and cardiovascular diseases.
Main Methods:
- A prospective cohort study utilizing UK Biobank data from 88,905 participants over 9.5 years.
- Objective light exposure data collected via wrist-worn light sensors for one week per participant.
- Cardiovascular disease incidence derived from UK National Health Service records, analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models.
Main Results:
- Higher night light exposure (91st-100th percentiles) was associated with significantly increased risks for coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and stroke compared to dark nights (0-50th percentiles).
- Associations remained robust after adjusting for multiple cardiovascular risk factors.
- Sex and age modified these associations, with females and younger individuals showing larger-magnitude risks for certain cardiovascular diseases.
Conclusions:
- Nighttime light exposure is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases in adults over 40.
- Minimizing light at night may serve as a valuable preventive strategy for cardiovascular health.
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