Scientists turn to astrophysics to measure body clock in hospital patients

An interdisciplinary team led by University of Manchester scientists has adapted a technique originally developed to analyse data from stars to devise a way of accurately measuring the human body clock in hospital patients. The development of the method called ClinCirc could one day help doctors to target patients at risk of long term health problems caused by clock disruption, which is thought to be common in patients admitted to hospital. With the help of ClinCirc, the study concluded that body clock disruption is common in patients: Reduced blood clock oscillations were observed in half of intensive care patients. This was associated with high levels of inflammation. The body clock was shifted, like jet lag, in nearly all kidney transplant patients immediately after their operation. The body clock is known to regulate how animals respond to infection and whether they develop disease, but until now it has been difficult to measure in patients. Shift work or jet lag is likely to break the clock, a potential explanation for why these activities are linked to diseases, including obesity and diabetes.