EFFECT OF LIFE IN A CONSTANT LIGHT ENVIRONMENT ON THE COURSE OF HYPERTENSION IN DAHL RATS

An important goal for biobehavioral scientists is to evaluate treatmen ts that might extend life in the presence and absence of disease. The prototypic example of such a treatment is food restriction. Importantl y, we have shown that exposure to a life-long environment of constant light extends life in hamsters with severe, life-threatening heart dis ease. The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether constant light would also extend the life of rats with an inherited form of hy pertension. Constant light neither delayed the progression of hyperten sion nor extended life in this model. These data suggest that constant light may have a more limited use as an experimental therapeutic moda lity to extend life as compared to food restriction.