Three minutes a week staring into a red light may help our eyesight as we get older, according to new research. Volunteers who were given a weekly session with red light in the morning performed better on tests of their color vision. The findings show that red light might be a cheap and easy to use treatment for age related declines in color vision.
The results of a small human trial involving red light therapy were published last year. Volunteers were asked to stare at a red light for three minutes every day for two weeks. People over the age of 40 improved on tests meant to measure how well they could see contrast between colors. The findings provided a proof-of-concept for the theory, according to Glen Jeffery.
Most of the cell's energy is produced by the Mitochondria. Our ability to see color and our ability to see cones decline as we age, and it is thought that this is due to the decline of the retina's mitochondria, which break down faster than elsewhere. The retina has so many mitochondria that they absorb some forms of light, and this improves cell function. Jeffrey said that they use this to improve vision.
They wanted to test the limits of their therapy. They scaled the light back to once a week. They chose a lower-energy light as well. The same wavelength of red light was used. 24 people between the ages of 34 and 70 were involved in the study. The therapy was given in the morning. Some of them received it in the afternoon as part of a later experiment. They were evaluated on their color vision after a week, based on tests of distinguishing color contrast.
The people who got the treatment in the morning showed a 17% improvement in their color vision. The team's past research shows that the treatment in the afternoon did not improve those who got it in the morning. The findings of the new study are published.
Jeffrey from the University College London said that exposure to a long wave deep red light in the morning can improve vision in millions of people.
The findings support their earlier work, and they might improve the practicability of the treatment since a once-weekly staring session is easier to stick to than a daily regimen. The results are based on small sample sizes of healthy volunteers. Larger trials are needed to confirm the benefits of red light therapy.
The authors acknowledge that there are still many unanswered questions. Some of their volunteers had a significantly greater response to the treatment than others, suggesting that there might be unique factors that predict how well the therapy works for any one person.
Jeffrey said in the University College London release that exposure to deep red light could be done while making a coffee or listening to a show on the commute.
The team is excited about the potential of their therapy, should the research continue, given its low cost and simplicity.
