Red Light Therapy and Heart Health
Can Photobiomodulation/Red Light Therapy Help Your Heart?
Heart disease is the number one cause of death around the world, including for women. That’s why researchers are looking for new, simple ways to protect our hearts—beyond just medication and surgery. One interesting, non-invasive treatment being studied is called photobiomodulation (PBM), also known as low-level light therapy.
What Is Photobiomodulation?
PBM uses special red or near-infrared light to gently “signal” the cells in the body to work better. It doesn’t involve any pain or needles, just shining light of certain colors and strengths onto the skin. The cells absorb this light, which boosts energy production, helps cells repair themselves, reduces inflammation, and can promote healing.
What Does the Research Show for Heart Health?
In this review, researchers reviewed more than 20 recent studies on PBM and its effects on cardiovascular diseases (CVD), such as heart attack, heart failure, and high blood pressure, conditions that especially affect women as they age.
Here’s what they found:
PBM improved healing in animal models after a heart attack, helping heart muscle cells recover and reducing harmful scarring.
In heart failure models (both when the heart pumps weakly and when it gets stiff, a condition common in older women), this therapy improved how the heart functioned and helped keep tissues healthier. This is a type of heart failure where the heart becomes less flexible and cannot fill with blood as well as it should.
Studies using female animal models, including those that mimic menopause by removing ovaries, found PBM lowered blood pressure and improved how blood vessels worked by restoring healthy nitric oxide levels.
PBM worked by increasing energy production in heart cells, lowering inflammation (including molecules like TNF-alpha and IL-6), and rebalancing the way heart tissue repairs itself after injury.
Are There Human Studies?
There are a few small clinical studies in humans so far:
One study applied red and infrared PBM to people with weak hearts (low ejection fraction) and found improvements in exercise endurance and how well the heart pumped blood.
Another protocol focused on lowering blood pressure by applying light to blood vessels, aiming to reduce hypertension. While large-scale results are still coming, these early studies support PBM’s safety and potential benefits.
Why Is This Important for Women?
Women have unique heart disease risks: After menopause, blood pressure can rise and the risk of stiff heart failure increases. The reviewed research included female subjects and menopause-type models. PBM improved blood vessel relaxation and blood pressure, which are crucial for women’s cardiovascular health, especially after hormone changes.
What’s Next?
PBM is still being researched, but it shows real promise as a gentle, non-drug therapy to support heart health and reduce risks related to inflammation and blood pressure. Experts say treatment protocols such as wavelengths, irradiance and dosage need to be standardized for widespread use.
The Future?
· PBM (low-level light therapy) may one day offer women a safe, painless way to help their hearts stay healthier—especially after midlife when risks rise.
· While more studies in humans are still needed, the science suggests that light really might heal - right down to a woman’s heart cells!
Always talk with a healthcare provider before trying new therapies, but keep an eye out for more news on this exciting, light-based approach to heart health!
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