Circadian Rhythm Abnormalities and Metabolic Diseases

Abstract

One of the characteristics of diabetic patients in recent years is the increase in the body weight. The reasons for the rapid increase in obesity and the number of patients with lifestyle-related diseases are diverse and include energy intake from fatty foods, lack of exercise, excessive stress, etc. Interestingly, a negative correlation between the number of diabetics and the number of people who go to bed at 10:00 p.m. was observed, suggesting that the shift to a nighttime lifestyle may be a factor in the development of lifestyle-related diseases. This shift in the time of day is expected to have a strong impact on the circadian rhythm of biological functions. The circadian rhythm of biological functions is a mechanism that has been conserved throughout evolution and is precisely controlled by the clock genes. It has long been known that the onset of disease has a specific onset time, but recently there have been a series of reports suggesting the involvement of clock genes in the onset of lifestyle-related diseases, especially metabolic diseases such as metabolic syndrome. In this article, we will discuss the relationship between circadian rhythm abnormalities and metabolic diseases from the viewpoint of clock genes.