For hundreds of years, people have observed that asthma severity often worsens in the nighttime.
One longstanding question has been to what degree the body’s internal circadian clock – as opposed to behaviors, such as sleep and physical activities – contributes to the worsening of asthma severity.
Using two circadian protocols, investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Oregon Health & Science University have pinned down the influence of the circadian system, uncovering a key role for the biological clock in asthma.
Understanding the mechanisms that influence asthma severity could have important implications for treating asthma.