Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The underlying pathogenesis involves multiple metabolic disorders, endothelial dysfunction and a maladaptive immune response, and leads to chronic arterial wall inflammation. Numerous normal physiological activities exhibit daily rhythmicity, including energy metabolism, vascular function and inflammatory immunoreactions, and disrupted or misaligned circadian rhythms may promote the progression of atherosclerosis. However, the association between the circadian rhythm and atherosclerosis remains to be fully elucidated. In the present review, the effects of the circadian rhythm on atherosclerosis progression are discussed.
Keywords: circadian rhythm; endothelial cells; macrophages; vascular smooth muscle cells.
Copyright: © Zhang et al.