Some intermittent fasting strategies may be associated with an increased risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke, according to new data presented Monday, March 18, at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention│Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Scientific Sessions 2024 in Chicago.
“Restricting daily eating time to a short period, such as eight hours per day, has gained popularity in recent years as a way to lose weight and improve heart health,” senior author Victor Wenze Zhong, PhD, a professor and chair of the department of epidemiology and biostatistics at the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in Shanghai, China, said in a statement. “However, the long-term health effects of time-restricted eating, including risk of death from any cause or cardiovascular disease, are unknown.”
Zhong et al. explored data from approximately 20,000 adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2003 to 2019. All participants were 20 years old or older when they enrolled, and the average age was 49 years old. Approximately 50% were men. Participants were followed for a median time period of eight years.
Overall, adults who said they ate all of their food in a single window of time less than eight hours long had a 91% higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD). Among adults who were already living with CVD, meanwhile, exclusively eating in a single window of time eight to 10 hours long was associated with a 66% higher risk of CVD-related death.
An eating duration longer than 16 hours, on the other hand, helped cancer patients reduce their risk of death.
“We were surprised to find that people who followed an eight-hour, time-restricted eating schedule were more likely to die from CVD,” Zhong said. “Even though this type of diet has been popular due to its potential short-term benefits, our research clearly shows that, compared with a typical eating time range of 12-16 hours per day, a shorter eating duration was not associated with living longer.”
Zhong was quick to emphasize that these findings do not prove intermittent fasting directly causes cardiovascular death. Also, a key limitation to this research is that it was based on self-reported dietary data.
Click here for more information on the Prevention│Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Scientific Sessions 2024 meeting. The four-day event is being held at Hilton Chicago.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.