Researchers have found a connection between Alzheimer's disease and nighttime light pollution, suggesting that exposure to artificial light at night may increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's, particularly for people under 65 . The study, published in Frontiers in Neuroscience, used satellite data to determine the average nighttime light intensity in the US between 2012 and 2018 and found a positive association between Alzheimer's prevalence and exposure to light at night .
While the exact cause of Alzheimer's is still unknown, scientists believe it's a complex combination of genetic, health, and lifestyle factors, together with age-related changes in the brain . Some risk factors, like age and family history, can't be changed, but others, like smoking, physical inactivity, and poor sleep, may be modifiable .
The researchers hope that their findings can help educate people about the potential risks of light at night and encourage them to make easy lifestyle changes, such as using blackout curtains or sleeping with eye masks