<p>Intense white light may be the latest way to prevent heart attacks besides other ways like cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), aspirin and clot-busters, according to a study. <br /><br /></p>.<p>“The study suggests that strong light, or even just daylight, might ease the risk of having a heart attack or suffering damage from one,” says Tobias Eckle, associate professor of anesthesiology, cardiology, and cell and developmental biology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. <br /><br />“For patients, this could mean that daylight exposure inside the hospital could reduce the damage that is caused by a heart attack,” adds Eckle. <br /><br />What’s the connection between light and a myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack? The answer lies, perhaps surprisingly, in the circadian rhythm, the body’s clock that is linked to light and dark. <br /><br />The circadian clock is regulated by proteins in the brain. But the proteins are in other organs as well, including the heart, according to a Colorado statement. <br /><br />Eckle and Holger Eltzschig, Colorado professor of anesthesiology, found that one of those proteins, called Period 2, plays a crucial role in fending off damage from a heart attack. <br /><br />During a heart attack, little or no oxygen reaches the heart. Without oxygen, the heart has to switch from its usual fuel - fat - to glucose. Without that change in heart metabolism, cells die and the heart is damaged And here’s where the circadian rhythm comes in. <br /><br />The study showed that the Period 2 protein is vital for that change in fuel, from fat to glucose, and therefore could make heart metabolism more efficient. In fact, Strong daylight activated Period 2 in animals and minimized damage from a heart attack.</p>
<p>Intense white light may be the latest way to prevent heart attacks besides other ways like cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), aspirin and clot-busters, according to a study. <br /><br /></p>.<p>“The study suggests that strong light, or even just daylight, might ease the risk of having a heart attack or suffering damage from one,” says Tobias Eckle, associate professor of anesthesiology, cardiology, and cell and developmental biology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. <br /><br />“For patients, this could mean that daylight exposure inside the hospital could reduce the damage that is caused by a heart attack,” adds Eckle. <br /><br />What’s the connection between light and a myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack? The answer lies, perhaps surprisingly, in the circadian rhythm, the body’s clock that is linked to light and dark. <br /><br />The circadian clock is regulated by proteins in the brain. But the proteins are in other organs as well, including the heart, according to a Colorado statement. <br /><br />Eckle and Holger Eltzschig, Colorado professor of anesthesiology, found that one of those proteins, called Period 2, plays a crucial role in fending off damage from a heart attack. <br /><br />During a heart attack, little or no oxygen reaches the heart. Without oxygen, the heart has to switch from its usual fuel - fat - to glucose. Without that change in heart metabolism, cells die and the heart is damaged And here’s where the circadian rhythm comes in. <br /><br />The study showed that the Period 2 protein is vital for that change in fuel, from fat to glucose, and therefore could make heart metabolism more efficient. In fact, Strong daylight activated Period 2 in animals and minimized damage from a heart attack.</p>