Clock Genes, Metabolism, and Cardiovascular Risk

The molecular clockwork drives rhythmic oscillations of signaling pathways managing intermediate metabolism; the circadian timing system synchronizes behavioral cycles and anabolic/catabolic processes with environmental cues, mainly represented by light/darkness alternation. Metabolic pathways, bile acid synthesis, and autophagic and immune/inflammatory processes are driven by the biological clock. Proper timing of hormone secretion, metabolism, bile acid turnover, autophagy, and inflammation with behavioral cycles is necessary to avoid dysmetabolism. Disruption of the biological clock and mistiming of body rhythmicity with respect to environmental cues provoke loss of internal synchronization and metabolic derangements, causing liver steatosis, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes mellitus.