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Excessive Blue Light From Our Gadgets May Accelerate the Aging Process

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Summary: Excessive exposure to blue light emitted from modern technology such as cell phones, TVs, and computer screens, impacts our basic cellular function and can accelerate aging, a new study reveals.

Source: Frontiers

Too much screen use has been linked to obesity and psychological problems. Now a new study has identified a new problem – a study in fruit flies suggests our basic cellular functions could be impacted by the blue light emitted by these devices.

These results are published in Frontiers in Aging.

“Excessive exposure to blue light from everyday devices, such as TVs, laptops, and phones, may have detrimental effects on a wide range of cells in our body, from skin and fat cells, to sensory neurons,” said Dr Jadwiga Giebultowicz, a professor at the Department of Integrative Biology at Oregon State University and senior author of this study.

“We are the first to show that the levels of specific metabolites –  chemicals that are essential for cells to function correctly – are altered in fruit flies exposed to blue light.“

“Our study suggests that avoidance of excessive blue light exposure may be a good anti-aging strategy,” advised Giebultowicz.

Turn off the light

The researchers at Oregon State University have previously shown that fruit flies exposed to light ‘turn on’ stress protective genes, and that those kept in constant darkness lived longer.

“To understand why high-energy blue light is responsible for accelerating aging in fruit flies, we compared the levels of metabolites in flies exposed to blue light for two weeks to those kept in complete darkness,” explained Giebultowicz.

Blue light exposure caused significant differences in the levels of metabolites measured by the researchers in the cells of fly heads. In particular, they found that the levels of the metabolite succinate were increased, but glutamate levels were lowered.

This shows a cell phone
The researchers at Oregon State University have previously shown that fruit flies exposed to light ‘turn on’ stress protective genes, and that those kept in constant darkness lived longer.

“Succinate is essential for producing the fuel for the function and growth of each cell. High levels of succinate after exposure to blue light can be compared to gas being in the pump but not getting into the car,” said Giebultowicz. “Another troubling discovery was that molecules responsible for communication between neurons, such as glutamate, are at the lower level after blue light exposure.”

Accelerating aging

The changes recorded by the researchers suggest that the cells are operating at suboptimal level, and this may cause their premature death, and further, explain their previous findings that blue light accelerates aging.

“LEDs have become the main illumination in display screens such as phones, desktops and TVs, as well as ambient lighting, so humans in advanced societies are exposed to blue light through LED lighting during most of their waking hours. The signaling chemicals in the cells of flies and humans are the same, so the there is potential for negative effects of blue light on humans,“ explains Giebultowicz.

Future work hopes to study the effects directly on human cells.

“We used a fairly strong blue light on the flies – humans are exposed to less intense light, so cellular damage may be less dramatic. The results from this study suggests that future research involving human cells is needed to establish the extent to which human cells may show similar changes in metabolites involved in energy production in response to excessive exposure to blue light,“ concluded Giebultowicz.

Abstract

Chronic blue light leads to accelerated aging in Drosophila by impairing energy metabolism and neurotransmitter levels

Blue light (BL) is becoming increasingly prevalent in artificial illumination, raising concerns about its potential health hazard to humans. In fact, there is evidence suggesting that acute BL exposure may lead to oxidative stress and death of retinal cells specialized for photoreception.

On the other hand, recent studies in Drosophila melanogaster demonstrated that chronic BL exposure across lifespan leads to accelerated aging manifested in reduced lifespan and brain neurodegeneration even in flies with genetically ablated eyes, suggesting that BL can damage cells and tissues not specialized for light perception.

At the physiological level, BL exposure impairs mitochondria function in flies, but the metabolic underpinnings of these effects have not been studied. Here, we investigated effects of chronic BL on metabolic pathways in heads of eyes absent (eya2) mutant flies in order to focus on extra-retinal tissues.

We compared metabolomic profiles in flies kept for 10 or 14 days in constant BL or constant darkness, using LC-MS and GC-MS. Data analysis revealed significant alterations in the levels of several metabolites suggesting that critical cellular pathways are impacted in BL-exposed flies.

In particular, dramatic metabolic rearrangements are observed in heads of flies kept in BL for 14 days, including highly elevated levels of succinate but reduced levels of pyruvate and citrate, suggesting impairments in energy production. These flies also show onset of neurodegeneration and our analysis detected significantly reduced levels of several neurotransmitters including glutamate and Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), suggesting that BL disrupts brain homeostasis.

Taken together, these data provide novel insights into the mechanisms by which BL interferes with vital metabolic pathways that are conserved between fly and human cells.

Study suggests a direct link between screen time and ADHD in teens

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Image: Study suggests a direct link between screen time and ADHD in teens

Adding to the list of health concerns associated with excessive screen time, one study suggests that there could be a link between the length of time teenagers spend online and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The two-year study, which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), observed more than 2,500 high school students from Los Angeles.

Digital media and the attention span of teenagers

A team of researchers analyzed data from the teenagers who had shorter attention spans the more they became involved in different digital media platforms for the duration of the experiment.

The JAMA study observed adolescents aged 15 and 16 years periodically for two years. The researchers asked the teenagers about the frequency of their online activities and if they had experienced any of the known symptoms of ADHD.

As the teenagers’ digital engagement rose, their reported ADHD symptoms also went up by 10 percent. The researchers noted that based on the results of the study, even if digital media usage does not definitively cause ADHD, it could cause symptoms that would result in the diagnosis of ADHD or require pharmaceutical treatment.

Experts believe that ADHD begins in the early stages of childhood development. However, the exact circumstances, regardless if they are biological or environmental, have yet to be determined.

Adam Leventhal, a University of Southern California psychologist and senior author of the study, shared that the research team is now analyzing the occurrence of new symptoms that were not present when the study began.

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Other studies about digital engagement have implied that there is an inverse relationship with happiness. The less people used digital media, the more they reported feeling an overall sense of happiness. (Related: The social media paradox: Teens who are always online feel more lonely.)

The researchers concluded that the teenagers might have exhibited ADHD symptoms from the outset due to other factors. However, it is possible that excessive digital media usage can still aggravate these symptoms.

Fast facts about ADHD

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is commonly diagnosed in children. However, it can also be diagnosed in older individuals. ADHD can be difficult to diagnose. Since several symptoms of ADHD are similar to normal childhood behaviors, the disorder itself can be hard to detect.

The symptoms of ADHD may include forgetting completed tasks, having difficulty sitting still, having difficulty staying organized, and having trouble concentrating or focusing.

  • Men are at least three times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than females.
  • During their lifetimes, at least 13 percent of men will be diagnosed with ADHD, as opposed to only 4.2 percent in women.
  • The average age of ADHD diagnosis is seven years old.
  • The symptoms of the condition will usually manifest when a child is aged three to six years old.
  • ADHD is not solely a childhood disorder. At least four percent of American adults older than 18 may have ADHD.

This disorder does not increase an individual’s risk for other conditions or diseases. However, some people with ADHD, mostly children, have a higher chance of experiencing different coexisting conditions. These can make social situations, like school, more difficult for kids with ADHD.

Some coexisting conditions of ADHD may include:

  • Anxiety disorder
  • Bed-wetting problems
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Conduct disorders and difficulties (e.g., antisocial behavior, fighting, and oppositional defiant disorder)
  • Depression
  • Learning disabilities
  • Sleep disorders
  • Substance abuse
  • Tourette syndrome

Minimize your child’s ADHD risk by reading more articles with tips on how to manage their internet use at Addiction.news.

Sources include:

Lifezette.com

Healthline.com

These smart headphones just solved your biggest listening woes

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Dash-thumb

The ultimate earphones

The Dash comes with 4GB of storage, which means you don’t need an extra device for your music. It can hold up to 1,000 songs all on its own. But if you need more tunes in your life, you can seamlessly stream music from your phone through bluetooth and it’ll still sound amazingly clear. There won’t be any spotty signal interrupting your listening.

The earphones also have Optical Touch controls on the outside, so there’s no need to take out any external device in order to access the functions. You can browse through music or check on your workout progress by tapping and swiping the face of the earphone. This ease of access means that you don’t even have to take your eyes off of what you’re doing to skip a song or get an update.

Dash 1

 

So music is not the only reason to get on board with The Dash. Listening may be all you do with your current set of earbuds, but these are meant to be more like a personal assistant than a set of speakers for your ears.

For example, the wireless component and storage capacity make these earphones the optimal exercise accessory. Rejoice at the thought of never again fumbling with wires or getting your phone all sweaty.

With 23 sensors in each ear, The Dash can keep track of your heart rate and analyze other physical metrics while you get fit. It’ll count your steps and give you live feedback while you’re going through your workout.

The waterproof hardware is an added bonus for anyone who choses swimming as their way to keep in shape. Never before have swimmers had the luxury of listening to music while underwater, but The Dash changes the game completely. (This feature is also pretty useful for anyone who wants to run in the rain, or if you get caught in a downpour during your commute.)

You can even choose to hear the noise of the world around you, or block it out completely, with the swipe of your finger. This is great for your focus, whether you’re exercising or if you’re trying to concentrate in a noisy office. But if you want to be more aware of your surroundings, you have the option to keep the background noise audible.

Dash 2

 

What’s down the road for The Dash

Right now, these are an excellent set of earphones with cutting edge features, but they’re set up to be much more than that. Bragi thinks about this first iteration of The Dash like the very first in a series of smart phones.

The Dash’s hardware and design leaves a ton of room for growth as the software improves, so there will be much more capability and functionality for this device in the future.

For example, the team at Bragi is picturing a movement away from a numbers-based process of fitness tracking. In the future, they’d like to introduce a much more qualitative method. They want the fitness software to act more like a personal assistant than a fancy calculator.

Users could be able to input a specific goal, such as running a half marathon, and The Dash would act as a coach. If your pace was too quick, the earphones would tell you to take it down a bit so you can avoid injury, while also assuring that you finish your workout without becoming too exhausted. Inversely, if you weren’t making good time, the device would tell you to speed up so you can be motivated to reach your goal.

Bragi is also working on software that could let you control The Dash by moving different parts of your body. For example, jumping may activate the function that skips a song in your playlist. Incorporating interactive physical commands would make the immersive experience they want for their users even more unique.

These are just a couple possibilities for the groundbreaking earphones. But the Dash is still in its infancy. There is so much potential for growth, especially if more developers can get involved. Bragi is setting a slow pace to make sure they get everything right, but there are fantastic things down the road. The Dash is already an impressive set of microcomputers you can fit in your ears, but just imagine where they’ll be like five years down the line.

 

Top gadgets of 2012.

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http://m.timesofindia.com/tech/personal-tech/gadgets-special/Top-gadgets-of-2012/articleshow/17841029.cms