Circadian Clock and Metabolic Diseases

Metabolic diseases have become one of the greatest threats to global health in the twenty-first century. It is well-recognized that circadian clock plays a significant role in the occurrence and development of metabolic diseases. Circadian rhythms generated by central and peripheral clocks are involved in maintaining metabolic homeostasis. Disruption of the circadian rhythms is an established risk factor for metabolic dysfunction and results in many metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Pharmacologically targeting of circadian clock by small molecules is becoming a promising strategy in the treatment of those metabolic diseases. In the meantime, metabolic cues could feedback to the circadian clock by affecting the rhythmic expression and activity of clock components. In this chapter, we focus on the role of circadian clock in metabolic diseases and discuss the reciprocal nature of circadian clock with metabolism.