Diabetes & Metabolism Journal

Reviews

Cardiovascular Risk/Epidemiology
Artificial Light at Night and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Jong-Ha Baek, Yong Zhu, Chandra L. Jackson, Yong-Moon Mark Park; Diabetes Metab J. 2024;48(5):847-863. Published online September 1, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4093/dmj.2024.0237

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The widespread and pervasive use of artificial light at night (ALAN) in our modern 24-hour society has emerged as a substantial disruptor of natural circadian rhythms, potentially leading to a rise in unhealthy lifestyle-related behaviors (e.g., poor sleep; shift work). This phenomenon has been associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), which is a pressing global public health concern. However, to date, reviews summarizing associations between ALAN and T2DM have primarily focused on the limited characteristics of exposure (e.g., intensity) to ALAN. This literature review extends beyond prior reviews by consolidating recent studies from 2000 to 2024 regarding associations between both indoor and outdoor ALAN exposure and the incidence or prevalence of T2DM. We also described potential biological mechanisms through which ALAN modulates glucose metabolism. Furthermore, we outlined knowledge gaps and investigated how various ALAN characteristics beyond only light intensity (including light type, timing, duration, wavelength, and individual sensitivity) influence T2DM risk. Recognizing the detrimental impact of ALAN on sleep health and the behavioral correlates of physical activity and dietary patterns, we additionally summarized studies investigating the potential mediating role of each component in the relationship between ALAN and glucose metabolism. Lastly, we proposed implications of chronotherapies and chrononutrition for diabetes management in the context of ALAN exposure.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

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Obesity mediates the association of outdoor artificial light at night with type 2 diabetes mellitus
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Tian Tian, Roel Vermeulen, Marco Helbich
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Seithikurippu R. Pandi-Perumal, Konda Mani Saravanan, David Warren Spence, Sulaiman S. Alsaif, Haitham Jahrami, Ahmed S. BaHammam, John M. Shneerson, Randy J. Nelson
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The impact of environmental pollution on metabolic health and the risk of non-communicable chronic metabolic diseases in humans
Caterina Formichi, Sonia Caprio, Laura Nigi, Francesco Dotta
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Synergistic effects of air pollution and artificial light at night on diabetes risk: A prospective cohort study
Desong Wen, Fei Lin, Chaowei Zhang, Ziyu Ge, Xiaohang Li, Zhenzhou Liu, Hanqing Zhao, Weimin Wang, Zhigang Chen, Guoan Zhao
Environmental Pollution.2025; 379: 126472. CrossRef
Artificial light exposure at night: A hidden risk factor for type 2 diabetes
Izere Salomon, Shema Sam, Yahya Ur Rehman, Intwari Munyaneza Hope
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Timing and Amplitude of Light Exposure, Not Photoperiod, Predict Blood Lipids in Arctic Residents: A Circadian Light Hypothesis
Denis Gubin, Sergey Kolomeichuk, Konstantin Danilenko, Oliver Stefani, Alexander Markov, Ivan Petrov, Kirill Voronin, Marina Mezhakova, Mikhail Borisenkov, Aislu Shigabaeva, Julia Boldyreva, Julianna Petrova, Larisa Alkhimova, Dietmar Weinert, Germaine Co
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Association between outdoor artificial light at night, circadian health, and LDL-C in intracranial artery atherosclerotic stenosis
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Independent and combined relationships between light at night, air pollutants, PM2.5 components and risk of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome: a cohort study
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Siyu Qing, Ziyue Liang, Yifang Liang, Renfang Zhang, Xiaojie Chen, Wenqing Wang, Chunejie Xu, Fei Lin, Yongbin Wang
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Normalized Amplitude of Blue Light Exposure (NA BLE) as a Novel Index for Circadian Light Hygiene: Associations with Actigraphy Measures and Seasonal Dependencies
Denis G. Gubin, Julia V. Boldyreva, Liina A. Danilova, Sergei N. Kolomeichuk, Larisa E. Alkhimova, Alexander A. Markov, Olga A. Malyugina, Natalya V. Kuznetsova, Oliver Stefani, Dietmar Weinert, Germaine Cornelissen
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Pathophysiology
Attention to Innate Circadian Rhythm and the Impact of Its Disruption on Diabetes: Da Young Lee, Inha Jung, So Young Park, Ji Hee Yu, Ji A Seo, Kyeong Jin Kim, Nam Hoon Kim, Hye Jin Yoo, Sin Gon Kim, Kyung Mook Choi, Sei Hyun Baik, Nan Hee Kim; Diabetes Metab J. 2024;48(1):37-52. Published online January 3, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4093/dmj.2023.0193

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746 Download
17 Web of Science
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Abstract PDF PubReader ePub

Novel strategies are required to reduce the risk of developing diabetes and/or clinical outcomes and complications of diabetes. In this regard, the role of the circadian system may be a potential candidate for the prevention of diabetes. We reviewed evidence from animal, clinical, and epidemiological studies linking the circadian system to various aspects of the pathophysiology and clinical outcomes of diabetes. The circadian clock governs genetic, metabolic, hormonal, and behavioral signals in anticipation of cyclic 24-hour events through interactions between a “central clock” in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and “peripheral clocks” in the whole body. Currently, circadian rhythmicity in humans can be subjectively or objectively assessed by measuring melatonin and glucocorticoid levels, core body temperature, peripheral blood, oral mucosa, hair follicles, rest-activity cycles, sleep diaries, and circadian chronotypes. In this review, we summarized various circadian misalignments, such as altered light-dark, sleep-wake, rest-activity, fasting-feeding, shift work, evening chronotype, and social jetlag, as well as mutations in clock genes that could contribute to the development of diabetes and poor glycemic status in patients with diabetes. Targeting critical components of the circadian system could deliver potential candidates for the treatment and prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus in the future.

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