Blue Light can Lower Blood Pressure
Projected Blue Light
Blue Light may Prevent Cardiovascular Events
A new study shows that amazing blue light can safely lower blood pressure without any of the side effects of many pharmaceutical blood pressure lowering drugs and thus may be able to prevent cardiovascular events. The study was published in EAPC European Association of Preventive Cardiology November 1, 2018, by researchers at the University of Surrey in the UK and Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany in collaboration with Philips Reports. Phillips manufactures many of the blue light instruments.
Results of the Study
The researchers compared time spent with exposure to blue light with the same amount of time exposed to a control light on a different day and found that people exposed to 30 minutes of whole-body blue light at approximately 450 nanometers, which is a dosage similar to daily sunshine, reduced systolic blood pressure by almost 8mmHg. This was similar to the effects of blood pressure lowering drugs. Not only did the blue light lower blood pressure, but also reduced arterial stiffness and increased the relaxation of blood vessels, which led to more blood flow. Also, the blue light increased levels of nitric oxide, which helps to protect the cardiovascular system.
Previous research had shown similar effects from ultraviolet light (UV), but UV light poses a cancer risk.
Blue Light is Painless, Non-invasive and has no Long-term Side Effects
The researchers believe that blue light is a unique way to control high blood pressure without drugs and it is also painless and non-invasive and has no long-term side effects.
Previous Treatment with Blue Light
This Week is Anti-biotic Awareness Week November 12-18
This week is Anti-biotic Awareness Week November 12-18 to awaken awareness of the fact that the misuse and the wrong use of anti-biotics can lead to them not being able to fight certain infections because the bacteria develop resistance to the antibiotics.
A Study Showed that Blue Light Successfully Destroyed Anti-biotic Resistant Bacteria MRSA
A study published in 2009 in Photomedicine and Laser Surgery showed that blue light was able to destroy Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria. MRSA is a highly contagious staph infection that is resistant to antibiotics.
Blue light has also been used in treating jaundice in newborns and in some cases together with other substances to treat people with cancerous skin conditions that have not metastasized and spread to other parts of the body, skin conditions like acne and depression.
Cardiovascular Disease
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death of Americans and kills over 150,000 people in the UK every year. Cardiovascular diseases are mainly heart attacks and strokes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in every three Americans dies of a heart attack or a stroke. Every 40 seconds someone in the US has a stroke and 800,000 Americans have a stroke every year. Stroke is a leading cause of disability. There are six million stroke survivors living in the US and many of them suffer from disabilities and speech, cognitive and movement impairments. Stroke survivors also suffer tremendous psychological and financial distress. The World Stroke Organization estimate that the worldwide cost for circulatory diseases that include stroke, heart disease, kidney disease and diabetes is about 957 billion US dollars.
High Blood Pressure Main Risk for Heart Attack and Stroke
The main risk factor for cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes is high blood pressure and many of these deaths could have been prevented mainly by controlling high blood pressure. In fact, the CDC claims that 80% of deaths from strokes are preventable. High blood pressure also causes kidney disease. While about 70% of Americans have high blood pressure only about half have it under control. Many of the drugs to control high blood pressure have side effects and this is one of the main reasons why people stop using them. Thus, a safer and easier way to control high blood pressure like this blue light can lead to the saving of millions of lives. Read more about risks for strokes and controlling high blood pressure in our blog from May 9, 2018.
Rehabilitation after Cardiovascular Events
If you or your loved one are in need of post stroke care or post heart surgery rehabilitation in the New York area, the Ditmas Park Rehab and Care Center in Brooklyn NY is a 5-star rehabilitation facility that is expertise in stroke rehabilitation, post cardiac surgery exercise, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, neurological and cognitive rehabilitation, spasticity management, palliative care and more plus great entertainment and integrated therapy programs that include music therapy and pet therapy.
Brooklyn Hospitals near Ditmas Park Rehab and Care Center
New York Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital
NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn (formerly named NYU Lutheran Medical Center)
SUNY Downstate Medical Center – University Hospital of Brooklyn
NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County
Conclusion
Since high blood pressure is such a high risk factor for getting a stroke or heart attack, everything must be done to get it under control. Since many people cannot take blood pressure lowering drugs because of unpleasant or even dangerous side effects, blue light is a safe non-invasive way of preventing blood pressure and has not shown it to have any long-term dangerous side effects.