| As much as medical science knows today about | | | | 157 per 100,000 men. |
| the body and ways to keep it healthy, doctors | | | | The team from the University of Cincinnati and |
| can't always explain why cancer affects one | | | | the University of Haifa point to any number of |
| person and not another. With prostate cancer | | | | theories that could explain the connection. |
| being one of the most common, though slow | | | | Suppression of melatonin production, suppression |
| growing, cancers in American men - lots of work | | | | of the immune system and disruption of the body |
| is being done in various prostate study groups in | | | | clock are all possible culprits to the link between |
| the hopes of sparing the one in six men who will | | | | high exposure to this type of light and prostate |
| be diagnosed with this type of cancer during his | | | | cancer. |
| life. | | | | Earlier work by the same team found a |
| We know some of the risks already. | | | | connection between the amount of artificial light |
| - Diet (eating lots of animal fats and dairy) | | | | and breast cancer. |
| - Your age (the biggest risk factor) as well as | | | | It's important to remember that cancer |
| your | | | | prevention comes from recognizing risk factors |
| - Genetic makeup (a family history of this type of | | | | that we can change from those we can't. |
| cancer) may all be factors. | | | | Genetics and age can't be changed, but what you |
| Recent work by American and Israeli researchers | | | | put into your body surely can be - eating a |
| points the figure at a more unexpected culprit - a | | | | healthy, balanced diet, exercising and managing |
| man's exposure to artificial light. | | | | stress are all important. |
| The work was intended to investigate the | | | | Something else to think about before you go |
| influence of a number of things, artificial light at | | | | running to turn out the lights. |
| night being just one, on the incidence of three | | | | Countries in northern climates, certainly some of |
| types of cancer: prostate, lung, and large intestine | | | | those used in the study, have to use more |
| in the world's male populations. | | | | artificial light (and more electricity) because there's |
| The team looked at how common prostate | | | | less natural sunlight. There are also more cancer |
| cancer is in men from 164 different countries, and | | | | causing agents in industrialized countries. |
| also studied data on lighting used at night. | | | | And while it's important to appreciate the |
| The cancer data came from the International | | | | dedicated and careful work of the researchers |
| Agency for Research on Cancer. Information on | | | | here, it's also important to understand that artificial |
| the levels of artificial lighting was taken from | | | | light is not solely responsible for the rise in |
| satellite images and researchers used advanced | | | | prostate cancer all on its own. |
| statistics to get a number for the amount of | | | | There are likely many factors at play here within |
| artificial light used per night per person. | | | | the prostate study arena, some of which we are |
| Countries with low nighttime lighting (little exposure | | | | only just beginning to understand. |
| to light at night) had prostate cancer incidence of | | | | However, if you do want to reduce your |
| 66.77 per 100,000 men. | | | | exposure to artificial light consider removing light |
| Men in countries with a medium exposure of | | | | sources from the bedroom like LED clocks and |
| artificial light at night had a rate of 87.11 per | | | | night lights and think about adding a thick lining to |
| 100,000. | | | | your curtains to block out street lights and darken |
| The rates of prostate cancer in the countries with | | | | the room. |
| the most artificial light at night jumped 80% to | | | | |