BMJ health & care informaticsSep 10, 2025

Body clock activity patterns measured by wearable devices linked to death risk in cancer patients

Circadian Biology Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗OA ↗

Updated Jun 27, 2026

Abstract

Essence

Disrupted wearable-measured circadian rest-activity rhythms were linked to higher all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular mortality in patients with cancer.

Evidence

This UK Biobank cohort analysis followed 7456 cancer participants with 7-day accelerometer measures for a median 9.00 years and observed 934 deaths.

Caveat

The study shows prognostic associations rather than causation, and CRAR disruption may reflect underlying illness or other unmeasured risk factors.

Simplified

OBJECTIVES: The objectives were to examine the associations between accelerometer-measured (CRAR), the most prominent circadian rhythm in humans and the risk of mortality from all-cause, cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with cancer.

METHODS: 7456 cancer participants from the UK Biobank were included. All participants wore accelerometers from 2013 to 2015 and were followed up until 24 January 2024, with a median follow-up of 9.00 years. The multidimensional parameters of the CRAR were calculated using the 7-day accelerometer data collected under free-living conditions. Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the associations between CRAR and all-cause, cancer and CVD mortality.

RESULTS: Among 7456 cancer patients (mean age: 65.7±6.87 years; 58.85% women) aged 44-79 years, 934 (12.5%) deaths occurred over 9.00 years (64 525 person-years). CRAR disruptions, including low amplitude, low mesor and high fragmentation, were significantly associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality (adjusted HR range, 1.30-2.00), cancer (adjusted HR range, 1.46-1.83) and CVD mortality (adjusted HR range, 1.73-2.66) in patients with cancer.

DISCUSSION: These associations were robust across various cancer types. In addition, CRAR disruptions, particularly low amplitude, exceeded multiple traditional risk factors such as poor sleep, smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity and unhealthy diet in predicting mortality.

CONCLUSION: CRAR parameters may serve as novel and robust predictors of mortality in patients with cancer.

Key numbers

1.30–2.00

Increased Risk of All-Cause Mortality

Adjusted hazard ratio range for all-cause mortality.

1.46–1.83

Cancer Mortality Risk Increase

Adjusted hazard ratio range for cancer mortality.

1.73–2.66

CVD Mortality Risk Increase

Adjusted hazard ratio range for cardiovascular disease mortality.

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Body clock activity patterns measured by wearable devices linked to death risk in cancer patients

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