Obesity may shut down circadian clock in the cardiovascular system
Monday, April 11, 2011 - 12:30
in Health & Medicine
Obese individuals typically suffer more medical problems than their leaner counterparts. They are more likely to be diagnosed with insulin resistance, diabetes, increased stress hormones, hypothyroidism, and sleep apnea. Researchers at the Georgia Health Sciences University in Augusta have also found the potential for something else, using an animal model. They have found that a master clock gene which regulates the cardiovascular system does not fluctuate regularly as it does in non-obese animals. This means that a key gene clock of the cardiovascular system does not work properly when obesity is present. The findings are believed to be the first of their kind.