Lights-on for Cardiovascular Disease: Can Red and Near Infrared Light Treatment Help the Recovery Process?

Two of the most common, often fatal, forms of cardiovascular disease are acute myocardial infarction and stroke. Both conditions involve compromised blood flow to target organs, resulting in dysfunction and subsequent death of cardiac and brain cells. Unfortunately, treatment options aiding the recovery phase have not been readily forthcoming over the years. In this narrative review, we explore the effectiveness of red and near infrared light treatment-known also as photobiomodulation (known henceforth as "light")-in improving the recovery process after either acute myocardial infarction or stroke in both preclinical and clinical studies. For preclinical studies, we consider the key findings gleaned from a large number of studies using a wide range of animal models that mimic the human conditions, showing that light treatment addresses the hallmarks of pathology associated with both these conditions; it stimulates mitochondrial activity, limits the infarct size, reduces inflammation and improves reperfusion. For the clinical studies, there are many fewer explorations; for acute myocardial infarction, there are only two small-scale, rather short-term studies, while for stroke, previous clinical trials have had some methodological issues and need to be revisited/repeated. We highlight the need for large-scale, placebo-controlled studies for both conditions. Finally, we consider the development of a novel device placed over the sternum and delivering light to the heart, together with a newly designed transcranial helmet that could be programmed to focus light on the area of damage.