Increased exposure to artificial evening illumination has been linked to a higher risk of diabetes, according to a study published in Diabetologia, the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes. The study finds that outdoor artificial light at night (LAN) is associated with impaired blood glucose control and an increased risk of diabetes, with more than 9 million cases of the disease in Chinese adults being attributed to LAN exposure. Dr. Yu Xu and his colleagues from China’s two top universities carried out the study.

According to the Telegraph, “the research was based on almost 100,000 men and women in China who were exposed to artificial light while it was dark outside. Those exposed the most were 28 percent more likely to develop the metabolic condition because of the interference the light had on the body’s production of melatonin – the hormone that helps regulate our circadian rhythms. Evidence is growing that 24/7 lifestyles are wreaking havoc with our health by interfering with the production of melatonin.”