The CIRCADIAN® AUSTRALIA ‘Healthy Light, Human-Centric Lighting’ presentation at the ACRNA Conference in Sydney alerted conference delegates of the research validating the importance of exposure to the ‘right light at the right time of day and night’ in 24/7 workplaces. Evidence-based human-centric lighting technology is available and installed in an ACRNA member control room to mitigate circadian disruption and enhance Health, Wellbeing and Alertness and Performance.
The ACRNA is committed to sharing scientific, evidence-based research on Health & Wellbeing and coincidentally the following article was published by Dr. Martin Moore-Ede, founder of CIRCADIAN® in Boston, a week after the ACRNA conference.
‘Light at Night Substantially Increases Cardiovascular Disease Risk’
Sleeping or working under bright light after midnight shortens your life.
Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of illness and deathworldwide¹. Physicians typically urge us to eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, stop smoking, and limit alcohol. Yet one major – and often overlooked – risk factor is hiding in plain sight: electric light at night.
A Powerful New Study Confirms the Danger
A groundbreaking analysis of nearly 89,000 participants in the UK Biobank study, recently published by Winfred et al.² has confirmed that nighttime light exposure is a significant driver of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
In this large, well-controlled study, participants aged about 60, whose lifestyles exposed them to the highest levels of light between 12:30 a.m. and 6 a.m.—even while asleep—had a markedly increased risk of heart attack (myocardial infarction), stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases over the following eight years.
The takeaway is clear: light at night is not benign. It disrupts your circadian rhythms and your cardiovascular system pays the price.
Now Recognised by Mainstream Medicine
The American Heart Association (AHA) has just issued a Scientific Statement³ on the Role of Circadian Health in Cardiometabloic Health and Disease Risk. It emphasis that the “circadian system plays a crucial role in maintaining health, including cardiovascular and metabolic function, and optimal health relies on robust circadian rhythmicity.”
This marks a turning point: after decades of evidence, circadian science is finally being integrated into mainstream cardiology and preventive medicine.
A 40-Year Journey Toward Recognition
Over forty years ago, Dr. Moore-Ede first learned of these connections in review articles published in the New England Journal of Medicine⁴ and Annual Review of Medicine⁵. It has taken nearly half a century for the medical establishment to recognise what circadian researchers have long known – that light at night is a hidden but powerful cause of heart disease.
Science moves slowly, but the message for your own life is immediate:
Remember the light we see is as important as the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe.
Sources:
- Vaduganathan M, et al (2022) The global burden of cardiovascular diseases and risk: a compass for future health. J AmColl Cardiol. 2022;80(25):2361-2371. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2022.11.005
- Windred DP et al. (2025) Light Exposure at Night and Cardiovascular Disease Incidence JAMA Network Open.;8(10):e2539031. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.39031
- Knutson KL (Chair) et al. (2025) Role of Circadian Health in Cardiometabolic Health and Disease Risk: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association Circulation. 2025;152:e00–e00 https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001388
- Moore-Ede, M.C., Czeisler, C.A., Richardson, G.S. (1983)Circadian timekeeping in health and disease. Part l: Basic properties of circadian pacemakers. Part 2: Clinical Implications for Circadian Rhythmicity NEJM 309: 469-476 and 530-536
- Moore-Ede, M.C., Richardson, G.S. (1985) Medical implications of shift-work. Ann. Rev. of Med. 36: 607-617.
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Contact CIRCADIAN® AUSTRALIA
Mark@circadianaustralia.com.au
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