Blue light damage from screens may be greater in older people

A study led by scientists at Oregon State University (OSU) in the United States examined the harmful effects of daily and lifetime exposure to light-emitting devices (LEDs). The hypothesis under study is that the damage caused by blue light, found in mobile phones, computers, and household itemsIt intensifies as people age.

Although it is already known to the scientific community that exposure to blue light causes damage to retinal cells in vitro and in vivo, the study sought: supposed effects of blue light on non-retinal cells. For this, the team of researchers investigated the effects of this artificial light on the lifespan of fruit flies, drosophila.

How were the effects of blue light on flies investigated?

The project’s principal investigator, Professor Jaga Giebultowicz of OSU, who specializes in biological clocks, evaluated the survival rates of flies that were kept in the dark and then migrated at progressively older ages (20, 40 and 60 days). For the blue light environment emitted by LEDs.

The experiment showed that under a blue light of the same intensity and duration, fruit flies not only lived shorter lives, but also suffered a significant increase in their neurodegeneration. as you get older.

According to the research, this dependence of the effects of blue light on an individual’s age is due to “reduced activity of certain components of the energy production pathways.” [ATP] in mitochondria”.

ARTICLE – Nature Partner Journals Aging – DOI: 10.1038/s41514-022-00092-z.