Red Light Improves Retinal Health and Reduces Drusen

Looking at deep red light for 3 minutes in the morning can significantly improve deteriorating eyesight, according to Dr. Glen Jeffrey, lead author at the University College of London’s Institute of Ophthalmology. Dr. Jeffrey writes that a single morning exposure of red light (670 nanometers) improves declining vision.

Link: https://academic.oup.com/biomedgerontology/article/75/9/e49/5863431?login=false

Here is the back story: 

When we are born, our retina develops from brain tissue, so every cell of the retina is essentially brain cells. The retina is not just connected to the brain, the retina is part of the central nervous system.  The retina is the only part of the brain that lives outside the skull or cranial vault.   But it is an access point where we can measure a reversal  of the aging process. 

However, if the retinal cells die at any point of our life, we cannot regenerate them.  Retinal cells demand the highest amount of energy in the body to remain healthy throughout our life.  By age 40, retinal cells begin to age.  The mitochondria reduce ATP production which is needed to maintain high energy in the cells.  These cells also increase Reaction Oxygen Species (ROS) which accelerate the aging in the retina.

The science says that our retinal cells (both rods and cones) are the most metabolically active cells in the body.  They demand and use the most energy in the body.  We start developing age-related eye problems when the mitochondria are compromised, ATP reduces in the retina, and the ROS accumulates as we age.   

The goal in reducing retina deterioration is to keep these cells youthful by increasing ATP and reducing ROS.  By increasing ATP, we are disrupting the normal pathways to aging. 

Dr. Jeffrey’s Lab ran the study by using two group of subjects, based on age:

One group were 20 years old, and the second group were over 40 years old. Both groups viewed the red light (670 nanometers). He performed two different studies intermingling the ages.  One study was done for 12 weeks while the other study was done for 3 weeks.  In both studies, the subjects sat one foot away from a low intensity red light source.

In study 1, the length of exposure was 3 minutes per day, once a week, for 12 weeks.  In study 2, the length of exposure was also 3 minutes, but it was only done for 3 weeks.

What is remarkable is when you collapse the studies into 1 report.  The age range of people (20 to 72 years old) the major improvements occurred in the age range of 40-72.  

The measurements used a visual acuity test called the Tritan Exam. In this test, researchers  measure the ability to see fine resolution by testing the short wavelength cones—specifically the cells that respond to green and blue wavelengths in the retina.   In this test, there was a 22% improvement among the subjects.

This is very promising because in most research projects involving the Tritan test using visual acuity, they typically only measure a 5% improvement, at best.

Red light used in these studies reduces ROS in both the rods and cones.  The red-light therapy even rescued the function of these short and medium wavelength cones in the retina which usually don’t need any help in maintaining their health.  

The important take away is red light viewed at a safe distance, for 3 minutes each day allowed a reversal process of the aging process of these neurons.  

Humans rely on vision to drive a car, read a book, learn new ideas, orient and balance themselves, and process information.  But we are seeing more age-related eye diseases as we get older with no viable alternatives offered except symptom-based protocols that can cause side effects and more problems.   But a non-invasive therapy like red light that can reverse age-related vision loss, at least in some cases, is very exciting.

Drusen and Red Light

Another significant finding from Jeffrey Lab was that red light reduced drusen in the retina.  Drusen is an accumulation of fatty cholesterol that can be deposited either in the peripheral retina, but can sometimes wreak havoc if the drusen accumulates in the macula.

Since the retina is heavily vascularized and needs many nutrients to stay healthy, drusen can occur as a byproduct of lowered ATP and an increase of the ROS.  The takeaway is that drusen can be reversed using the same red light therapy protocol.

To summarize: do the red-light treatment, early in the day, at least the first 3 hours of waking.  Remember to blink when looking through the red lens.