Join us Tuesday, September 22 at 12 PM ET for the CLSA webinar, “Circadian Biology and Type 2 Diabetes: Evidence from a Meta-Analysis and the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA).” The webinar will be presented by Divya Joshi, a research associate in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact at McMaster University.
Circadian regulation is an important factor in metabolic health, yet the role of rhythmic metabolites in metabolic health – including glycaemic indicators and Type 2 diabetes development – remains poorly understood. The research team explored two aspects of this relationship: how genes involved in circadian regulation influence diabetes risk, and how metabolites that follow daily rhythms may contribute to this process. First, the researchers performed a meta-analysis involving 37 studies to investigate whether variations in circadian clock genes are associated with glycemic indicators and Type 2 diabetes risk. They found that several clock genes, including CRY2, MTNR1B, CLOCK, and PER3, were linked to differences in glycemic indicators and diabetes risk. Importantly, these genetic effects were influenced by lifestyle and environmental factors such as diet, physical activity, alcohol use, and daylight exposure. Next, using serum metabolomics data from 9,992 adults in the CLSA, the research team investigated the association between metabolites that were previously linked to daily rhythmic patterns and risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. They found that certain rhythmic metabolites, particularly those involved in amino acid and lipid metabolism, were associated with an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. A genetic-based causal analysis suggested that higher levels of branched-chain amino acids and sphingolipids may contribute to greater diabetes risk, whereas metabolites involved in glycine, creatine, and phospholipid metabolism may have protective effects. These findings highlight the important role of circadian rhythms in metabolic health and have the potential to inform future population-level strategies for preventing Type 2 diabetes.
Dr. Divya Joshi is a research associate in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact at McMaster University. Her research examines how biological, psychosocial, behavioural, and environmental factors interact to influence health and aging across the life course. A central focus of her work is understanding the associations between exposure to adverse childhood experiences and healthy aging outcomes, including chronic conditions, mental health, functionality, social participation, and biological age acceleration, as well as the potential pathways linking childhood adversity to these outcomes. She also contributes to research on circadian biology and metabolic health, including the role of circadian clock-gene variation and circulating rhythmic metabolites in Type 2 diabetes. Her work aims to advance understanding of how experiences across the life course influence health trajectories and inform approaches to promoting healthy aging and maintaining function across later life.
