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Published on: August 8, 2019
Therapeutic applications of circadian rhythms for the cardiovascular system
Elena V Tsimakouridze1, Faisal J Alibhai1, Tami A Martino1
1Cardiovascular Research Group, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph Guelph, ON, Canada.
Insights
Cardiovascular disease events show daily rhythms. Targeting the body's internal clock (circadian biology) offers new ways to treat heart disease through optimized therapy timing, new biomarkers, and novel drugs.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Chronobiology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- The cardiovascular system displays significant time-of-day variations in heart rate, blood pressure, and event onset.
- The circadian clock mechanism is increasingly recognized as a key regulator of these daily cardiovascular fluctuations.
- Targeting circadian biology presents a novel therapeutic avenue for cardiovascular diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review leading-edge therapeutic applications of circadian biology in cardiovascular disease.
- To highlight chronotherapy, chronobiomarkers, and new chronobiology drugs for heart disease management.
Main Methods:
- Review of current research on circadian rhythms and cardiovascular events.
- Identification of therapeutic strategies based on circadian biology.
- Discussion of novel biomarkers and pharmacological compounds targeting the circadian mechanism.
Main Results:
- Chronotherapy maximizes treatment efficacy by timing interventions to circadian rhythms.
- Chronobiomarkers, identified through time-specific testing, offer new diagnostic potential.
- Novel chronobiology drugs targeting the circadian mechanism show promise for clinical application.
Conclusions:
- Circadian biology offers promising novel therapeutic approaches for cardiovascular diseases.
- Optimizing treatment timing, utilizing chronobiomarkers, and developing new chronobiology drugs can benefit patients.
- New strategies in managing heart disease are crucial given its global impact.
Abstract:
The cardiovascular system exhibits dramatic time-of-day dependent rhythms, for example the diurnal variation of heart rate, blood pressure, and timing of onset of adverse cardiovascular events such as heart attack and sudden cardiac death. Over the past decade, the circadian clock mechanism has emerged as a crucial factor regulating these daily fluctuations. Most recently, these studies have led to a growing clinical appreciation that targeting circadian biology offers a novel therapeutic approach toward cardiovascular (and other) diseases. Here we describe leading-edge therapeutic applications of circadian biology including (1) timing of therapy to maximize efficacy in treating heart disease (chronotherapy); (2) novel biomarkers discovered by testing for genomic, proteomic, metabolomic, or other factors at different times of day and night (chronobiomarkers); and (3) novel pharmacologic compounds that target the circadian mechanism with potential clinical applications (new chronobiology drugs). Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of death worldwide and new approaches in the management and treatment of heart disease are clearly warranted and can benefit patients clinically.
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