Cureus. 2026 Sep 25;18(9):e116920. doi: 10.7759/cureus.116920. eCollection 2026 Sep.
ABSTRACT
Circadian rhythms are endogenous, approximately 24-hour biological cycles that regulate physiological processes, including cardiovascular function, metabolism, immune activity, endocrine signaling, and sleep-wake patterns. These rhythms significantly influence disease pathophysiology and therapeutic responses, making biological time an important determinant of treatment outcomes. Several chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disorders, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, metabolic syndrome, and psychiatric conditions, exhibit predictable circadian variations in symptom severity and disease activity. Simultaneously, circadian oscillations affect pharmacokinetic processes such as drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion, as well as pharmacodynamic mechanisms involving receptor sensitivity and cellular responsiveness. As a result, identical drug doses administered at different times may produce considerable differences in efficacy and toxicity. This review analyzes the role of circadian biology in optimizing pharmacotherapy through the integration of chronopharmacology and chronotherapy. It discusses the molecular basis of circadian regulation and its influence on physiological systems, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics. Disease-specific chronotherapeutic applications in cardiovascular, metabolic, endocrine, respiratory, rheumatologic, psychiatric, and oncologic disorders are highlighted. Clinical examples, including evening statin administration, timed bronchodilator use, and modified-release glucocorticoid therapy, highlight the practical benefits of circadian-based therapies. However, evidence remains variable across therapeutic areas, with some chronotherapeutic strategies, such as bedtime antihypertensive dosing, showing conflicting results in recent clinical trials. Further research is needed to define optimal timing recommendations and facilitate wider clinical adoption. Throughout, the strength of evidence is appraised to distinguish chronotherapeutic strategies with sufficient support for routine clinical use from those that remain experimental. The review also discusses emerging developments in chronopharmacokinetic modeling, advanced drug delivery systems, wearable monitoring devices, and precision chronomedicine. Despite promising evidence, broader implementation remains limited by variability in circadian patterns, lack of awareness, and insufficient standardized guidelines. Integrating circadian principles into pharmacotherapy and, ultimately, combining precision chronotherapy with lifestyle-based strategies may offer a promising direction for improving therapeutic precision, disease prevention, and patient outcomes.
PMID:42928923 | PMC:PMC13695981 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.116920