University of Pittsburgh researchers have discovered that exposure to long-wavelength red light may significantly reduce the risk of blood clots. This study highlights red light therapy’s potential to save millions of lives.
In a new study published in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis, researchers led by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC have found that exposure to long-wavelength red light can considerably reduce the formation of blood clots in both humans and mice.
The study reveals that red light therapy could potentially prevent life-threatening conditions, such as heart attacks, strokes and lung damage.
“The light we’re exposed to can change our biological processes and change our health,” lead author Elizabeth Andraska, an assistant professor of surgery at Pitt’s Trauma and Transfusion Medicine Research Center and a vascular surgery resident at UPMC, said in a news release. “Our findings could lead to a relatively inexpensive therapy that would benefit millions of people.”
The research aligns with established knowledge that light exposure influences health outcomes. For example, blood flow and hormone secretion are regulated by the natural cycle of light and dark, and cardiovascular events are more likely in the morning.
Andraska and her team were curious to see if light exposure could impact the formation of harmful blood clots. To investigate, the team exposed mice to 12-hour cycles of red, blue or white light, alternating with 12 hours of darkness.
The results were striking: mice exposed to red light had nearly five times fewer blood clots than those exposed to blue or white light. Importantly, these differences were not due to variations in activity, sleep, eating habits or body temperature.
The researchers extended their findings by analyzing data from over 10,000 cataract surgery patients. They compared outcomes between patients who received conventional lenses and those with blue light-filtering lenses. Notably, cancer patients with blue light-filtering lenses exhibited a lower risk of blood clots — a significant discovery given their inherently high risk for such complications.
“These results are unraveling a fascinating mystery about how the light to which we’re exposed on a daily basis influences our body’s response to injury,” added senior author Matthew Neal, a professor of surgery, Watson Fund in Surgery Chair and co-director of Pitt’s Trauma and Transfusion Medicine Research Center.
“Our next steps are to figure out why, biologically, this is happening, and to test if exposing people at high risk for blood clots to more red light lowers that risk,” he continued. “Getting to the bottom of our discovery has the potential to massively reduce the number of deaths and disabilities caused by blood clots worldwide.”
The research underscores the significant role the optic pathway plays in this mechanism — as blind mice showed no change in clotting, nor did direct light exposure to blood alter clot formation.
The study linked red light exposure to reduced inflammation and a lower activation of the immune system’s defensive structures, known as NETs, which often contribute to clotting. Additionally, red light exposure increased the production of fatty acids that mitigate platelet activation — a key factor in clot formation.
Moving forward, the team is developing special goggles to control red light exposure for participants in forthcoming clinical trials. Their goal is to identify who would benefit most from this innovative therapy.
With its potential to prevent a leading cause of death, red light therapy could revolutionize how we approach the treatment and prevention of blood clots worldwide.