As is widely known, stroke occurs as a disruption of blood flow to the brain and it is one of the leading causes of adult disability. During a stroke, around 2 million brain cells die every minute, which can obviously have devastating outcomes. Since it’s a medical emergency, professional help is necessary as soon as possible to avoid the worst. But what if there is a way to help prevent it?
Red light might be the answer. It has been found that exposure to long-wavelength red light significantly reduced blood clot formation, which has been confirmed not only in mice, but through human studies as well. Furthermore, red light is now associated with lower inflammation, reduced immune system activation, and fewer clot-promoting mechanisms, such as neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and platelet activation.
Since the study compares red light directly to white or blue light, scientists can confidently say that the mechanisms of action differ after exposure. Unlike blue or white light, red light influences clotting through optic pathways, suggesting its effects are mediated by neural mechanisms rather than direct blood exposure. These findings offer promising implications for reducing risks of strokes and, of course, other clot-related conditions.
It could also be helpful to understand the underlying mechanism of how red light helps exactly so that there could be a more potent and convenient medication or therapy developed.
All findings still need to be verified through clinical trials, but they could lead to a relatively inexpensive therapy that could help millions of people worldwide.
Resources:
E. A. Andraska, et al. (2025) Alterations in visible light exposure modulate platelet function and regulate thrombus formation.
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