Red Light Therapy Reduces Blood Clots In Mice By 75%

The research conducted by the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC has revealed groundbreaking findings on the potential of red light therapy to reduce blood clot formation. This discovery has significant implications for the prevention and treatment of life-threatening conditions such as heart attacks and strokes. Key findings include:

Clot Reduction in Mice

• Mice exposed to red light (617 nm wavelength) developed significantly smaller blood clots compared to those exposed to white or blue light.
• The clots in red light-exposed mice weighed approximately 4.21 mg, compared to 18.54 mg in mice exposed to white light – a reduction of more than 75%.

Biological Mechanisms

Red light exposure was associated with:

• Lower inflammation
• Reduced immune system activation
• Fewer neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), which contribute to unwanted clot formation
• Increased fatty acid production, which naturally reduces platelet activation

Human Studies

• Analysis of 10,464 cataract surgery patients showed that cancer patients who received blue light-filtering lenses had a notably lower risk of developing blood clots.
• Intense light therapy repressed procoagulant pathways in human plasma samples and significantly reduced the clot rate.
• The potential applications of this research are far-reaching:

Novel Therapy: Red light exposure could lead to a relatively inexpensive therapy benefiting millions of people at risk of blood clots.

Clinical Trials: Researchers are developing specialized red light goggles to control light exposure in study participants.

Targeted Treatment: The therapy could be particularly beneficial for high-risk groups, such as cancer patients.

Mechanism Understanding: Further research aims to unravel how red light triggers changes that lower clotting risk, potentially leading to the development of more potent and convenient therapies.

This innovative approach to blood clot prevention could revolutionize treatment for vascular diseases and significantly reduce the number of preventable deaths caused by blood clots worldwide.

The research paper is “Alterations in visible light exposure modulate platelet function and regulate thrombus formation” by Elizabeth Andraska et al. Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.

David Shiller

David Shiller is the Publisher of LightNOW, and President of Lighting Solution Development, a North American consulting firm providing business development services to advanced lighting manufacturers. The ALA awarded David the Pillar of the Industry Award. David has co-chaired ALA’s Engineering Committee since 2010. David established MaxLite’s OEM component sales into a multi-million dollar division. He invented GU24 lamps while leading ENERGY STAR lighting programs for the US EPA. David has been published in leading lighting publications, including LD+A, enLIGHTenment Magazine, LEDs Magazine, and more.

See Full Bio