April 21, 2021
HOUSTON – (April 21, 2021) – Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide, yet researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have found that those 55 and younger are not treated as aggressively, and women receive less than optimal preventative care when compared to men among this group of young patients with ASCVD.
The study, one of the largest to date published in JAMA Cardiology¸ reviewed medical records of 147,600 veterans with premature ASCVD, which includes patients who suffered from heart disease, stroke, or peripheral arterial disease at a young age. The investigators found that not only were women significantly less likely to receive antiplatelets, statin or high-intensity statin therapies, they also were less likely to adhere to their statin therapy regimen when compared with men.
What is Blue Light and Is it Bad?
Just as with UV rays, the sun emits blue light naturally. But electronic screens and energy-efficient lighting also emit blue light wavelengths, which can boost our attention, mood, and reaction times, according to Harvard. That can be an advantage during the daytime, but at night, that light color can disrupt our circadian rhythm (a.k.a. our internal clock) by suppressing the body’s melatonin secretion. Translation: Exposure to more blue light especially two to three hours before bed can cause us to get less sleep.
It’s worth noting that eye experts maintain that blue light won’t cause blindness or age-related macular degeneration. As retinal disease specialist David J. Ramsey, MD, PhD, MPH, writes for Harvard, average amounts of blue light from our everyday devices aren’t intense enough to damage the retina.