Too much light can hurt bones and muscles

A new study suggests excess exposure to light can take its toll on muscles and bones.

This may be troubling news for those in hospitals and nursing homes where people are exposed to hours of artificial light each day.

The study, reported in the New York Times, was done on rats so it must be taken with a grain of salt. But it showed that those exposed to continuous light had less muscle strength and developed signs of early-stage osteoporosis. They also got fatter and had higher blood glucose levels than those not exposed to excess light.

It is not known exactly why this happened but it may be that light and dark cues influence a body’s circadian rhythms, which regulate many of the body’s physiological processes.

The study’s good news is that the damage is apparently reversible.

The paper’s findings may also apply to those who receive excess light to due constant exposure to computer screens.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/light-pollution-may-take-toll-on-muscles-and-bones/?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FElder%20Care&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=collection&_r=0

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