Pilot study shows low-level laser light can reduce cholesterol, triglycerides

April 2, 2009
April 2, 2009--Clinical research designed to investigate how dissolved fat affects body chemistry has led researchers to discover that laser light can disrupt cholesterol formation. A subsequent study concluded that 75% of participants had a reduction in cholesterol serum of 16.1 points. The results are being reported at this week's Annual Conference of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS) in National Harbor, MD.

April 2, 2009--A clinical study originally designed to investigate how dissolved fat affects body chemistry led researchers to discover that laser light can disrupt cholesterol formation. Subsequent research concluded that 75 percent of study participants had an overall reduction in cholesterol serum of 16.1 points. Ryan Maloney, medical director of Erchonia Medical Inc. (McKinney, TX) is reporting the results at this week's Annual Conference of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS) in National Harbor, MD.

"Since low-level laser therapy was proven to affect transcription factors, we wanted to determine if laser therapy could serve as a subtle, non-invasive instrument to lower cholesterol and triglyceride serum levels," said Maloney. Twenty volunteers between the ages of 18 and 65 participated in the non-controlled, non-randomized study. They received low-level laser treatments three times per week for two weeks, with each treatment session lasting approximately 40 minutes. Treatments were administered across the abdomen and waist area, and wrapping around the lower back--an area that generally contains the most concentrated pockets of subcutaneous fat. The laser produced 17.5 milliwatts of energy at 635 nanometers.

The 75 percent of study participants that demonstrated overall reduction in cholesterol serum levels had a reduction ranging from -1.0 to -31.0 mg/dL. For those participants demonstrating an overall reduction in cholesterol serum levels, 93 percent experienced a reduction in LDL levels (commonly referred to as "bad cholesterol"), with 47 percent revealing a reduction in LDL levels without experiencing a reduction in HDL levels (or "good cholesterol"). Of the 20 participants, 60 percent demonstrated a reduction in triglyceride levels.

"We were incredibly surprised by these findings, especially given that we stumbled upon this observation by accident," said Maloney. "It's exciting to see laser technology shift in the direction of treating chronic conditions with the potential to one day serve as a viable alternative to leading prescription medications used to treat high cholesterol."

Maloney said this research is now moving into a randomized placebo-controlled, double-blinded clinical trial expected to begin at multiple sites later this year. The clinical trial will investigate, among other things, the long-term effects of low-level laser irradiation on cholesterol and triglyceride serum levels in hopes of establishing treatment guidelines to ensure levels are maintained over time. "Low-level laser therapy is gaining popularity across the medical community as an effective form of preventative medicine, and I think this trend will certainly continue in the future," he said.

The American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS) is a key resource for laser research, safety, education, and clinical knowledge. For more information please log on to the ASLMS website.

Posted by Barbara G. Goode, [email protected], for Laser Focus World.

Sponsored Recommendations

Demonstrating Flexible, Powerful 5-axis Laser Micromachining

Sept. 18, 2024
Five-axis scan heads offer fast and flexible solutions for generating precise holes, contoured slots and other geometries with fully defined cross sections. With a suitable system...

Enhance Your Experiments with Chroma's Spectra Viewer

Sept. 5, 2024
Visualize and compare fluorescence spectra with our interactive Spectra Viewer tool. Easily compare and optimize filters and fluorochromes for your experiments with this intuitive...

Optical Filter Orientation Guide

Sept. 5, 2024
Ensure optimal performance of your optical filters with our Orientation Guide. Learn the correct placement and handling techniques to maximize light transmission and filter efficiency...

Ensure Optimal Performance with Shortpass Filters

Sept. 5, 2024
Achieve precise wavelength blocking with our Shortpass Filters. Ideal for applications requiring effective light transmission and cutoff, these filters ensure optimal performance...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Laser Focus World, create an account today!