Blue light ‘is as good as drugs’ for blood pressure
BLUE light could work as well as drugs to lower high blood pressure, doctors have found.
Just half an hour of blue light in a day reduces blood pressure to the same level seen in those taking tablets.
It is well known that sunlight lowers blood pressure, with people less likely to have high blood pressure in the summer than winter.
The problem is that excessive amounts of ultraviolet light, from the sun or a tanning bed, can also cause skin cancer.
Researchers at the University of Surrey found a solution using blue light, which is close to ultraviolet in the light spectrum. After exposing 14 men aged 30 to 60 to half an hour of blue light over two days, their systolic blood pressure fell by almost 8 mmHg, a level usually achieved only using inhibitor drugs. Researchers say clothing could be developed with blue LED lights on the inside, which could detect rising blood pressure and lower it.
Dr Christian Heiss of the University of Surrey, who is also an NHS consultant, said: ‘Exposure to blue light provides an innovative method to precisely control blood pressure without drugs. Wearable blue light sources could make continued exposure to light possible.
‘This would be particularly helpful to those whose blood pressure is not easily controlled by medication, such as older people.’ Blue light was also found to reduce stiffness in the arteries and may prevent cardiovascular disease, the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology reports.