Chrononutrition in cardiometabolic diseases: Current evidence and future perspectives

Abstract

Chrononutrition is the field of nutritional science that investigates the relationship between food intake, timing of food intake, and their effects and influence on circadian rhythms and overall health. By aligning eating patterns with body's internal clock, optimisation of metabolic processes, improvements of various aspects of health can be achieved. Cardiovascular (CV) and metabolic diseases remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Notably, in the US alone, approximately half of all cardiometabolic deaths are attributed to modifiable dietary factors, suggesting that dietary changes could result in dramatic increases in lifespan and its related quality of life. Social media have also a great impact on chrononutrition and their role cannot be neglected. The impact of social media on chrononutrition can be multifaceted: information dissemination, influence on eating habits, digital detox challenges, cultural influence and social jet lag. This special issue will provide novel insights and clarifications on chrononutrition, but also on additional controversial topics. The articles we selected should promote future preclinical and clinical studies to ultimately identify the most appropriate approaches to reduce the unacceptable high burden of CV and metabolic diseases.