Aging Eyes Associated With Disturbances In Body’s Circadian Rhythms.

Aging Eyes Associated With Disturbances In Body’s Circadian Rhythms.

The New York Times  (2/21, D5, Tarkan, Subscription Publication) examines the hypothesis that “the aging eye filters out blue light, affecting circadian rhythm and health in older adults.” Studies suggest that the “gradual yellowing of the lens and the narrowing of the pupil that occur with age disturb the body’s circadian rhythm, contributing to a range of health problems.” That is because “as the eyes age, less and less sunlight gets through the lens to reach key cells in the retina that regulate the body’s circadian rhythm, its internal clock.” In a recent study  published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, researchers “estimated that by age 45, the photoreceptors of the average adult receive just 50 percent of the light needed to fully stimulate the circadian system. By age 55, it dips to 37 percent, and by age 75, to a mere 17 percent.”