From Chronobiology to Chronomedicine: Early Days

Abstract

Franz Halberg (1919–2013) developed chronobiology and founded the field of chronomedicine including chronomics, chronoastrobiology, and chronobio- ethics. He coined the term circadian, after documenting that biologic rhythms tip the scale between health and disease and even between life and death. His work is summarized in his over 3600 scientific publications, in cooperation with colleagues from around the world. Progress of the chronomedicine exactly depends on his his- tory of research. Thus, herein we introduce him briefly. Beyond blood pressure and heart rate, the biomedically interested scientist will find an all-too-brief introduction to what students of sociology, biology, and medi- cine regard as a new science from the molecular to the sociologic and the epidemio- logic time structure of life. We show that the large extent of cardiovascular variations can be exploited in the form of dynamic and other endpoints derived for each indi- vidual, for use in preventive as well as curative health care.