title: How does healthy aging impact on the circadian clock?
abstract: Circadian rhythms are recurring patterns in a host of physiological and other parameters that recur with periods of near 24 h. These rhythms reflect the temporal organization of an organism's homeostatic control systems and as such are key processes in ensuring optimal physiological performance. Dysfunction of circadian processes is linked with adverse health conditions. In this review we highlight the evidence that normal, healthy aging is associated with changes in the circadian system; we examine the molecular mechanisms through which such changes may arise, discuss whether more robust circadian function is a predictor of longevity and highlight the role of circadian rhythms in age-related diseases. Overall, the literature shows that aging is associated with marked changes in circadian processes, both at the behavioral and molecular levels, and the molecular mechanisms through which such changes arise remain to be elucidated, but may involve inflammatory process, redox homeostasis and epigenetic modifications. Understanding the nature of age-related circadian dysfunction will allow for the design of chronotherapeutic intervention strategies to attenuate circadian dysfunction and thus improve health and quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Medicine Rostock, Gehlsheimerstr. 20, 18147, Rostock, Germany. aurel.popa-wagner@med.uni-rostock.de.
authors.forename: Aurel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Popa-Wagner
authors.affiliation: Department of Functional Sciences, Center of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Craiova, Romania.
authors.forename: Ana-Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Buga
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Embryology, UMF "Iuliu Hatieganu" Cluj, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Dinu Iuliu
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Dumitrascu
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Medicine Rostock, Gehlsheimerstr. 20, 18147, Rostock, Germany.
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uzoni
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Medicine Rostock, Gehlsheimerstr. 20, 18147, Rostock, Germany.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thome
authors.affiliation: Maynooth University Department of Psychology, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland.
authors.forename: Andrew N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Coogan
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D000818:Animals; D057906:Circadian Clocks / Q000502:physiology*; D000073656:Healthy Aging / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans
keywords: Aging; Circadian; Clock gene; Inflammation; Longevity