Intermittent fasting increases the risk of cardiovascular death

Intermittent fasting consists of restricting the daily diet to a window of 4 to 12 hours and don’t drink anything else for the rest of the day. Most of those who follow this regimen eat for 8 hours and fast for 16.

Now, a study of more than 20,000 adults found that people who limit their eating to less than 8 hours have 91% are more likely to die from cardiovascular disease compared to those who eat 12 to 16 hours a day.

The results of this preliminary research were presented this Monday at the American Heart Association’s 2024 Epidemiology and Prevention Lifestyle and Cardiometabolism Scientific Sessions, annual meeting taking place this week in Chicago to showcase the latest studies in health, wellness and lifestyle.

“Limiting daily eating time to a short period, such as 8 hours a day, has become popular in recent years as a way to lose weight and improve heart health,” but the truth is, “the effects are not known.” long-term,” warns Victor Wenze Zhong, lead study author and head of epidemiology at Shanghai Jiao Tong Medical University, China.

To find out, the authors conducted a study of 20,000 adults, reviewed data on the dietary patterns of participants in the annual National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) from 2003 to 2018, and compared them with data on people who had died. United States between 2003 and 2019.

The analysis showed that those who ate less than 8 hours a day had a 91% higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease, and also noted a higher risk of cardiovascular death in people who had heart disease or cancer.

Among people with cardiovascular disease, eating less than 10 hours a day was associated with a 66% increased risk of dying from heart disease or stroke.

In contrast, time restriction did not reduce the overall risk of death from any cause, while eating more than 16 hours a day was associated with a lower risk of death in people with cancer.

“We were surprised to find that those who followed an eight-hour eating schedule were more likely to die from cardiovascular disease,” admits Zhong.

“Although this type of diet is popular for its potential short-term benefits, our research clearly shows that, compared to a typical 12-16 hour daily eating schedule, shorter meal times are not associated with longer life,” he said. emphasizes.

Given these results, for Zhong, “it is crucial that patients, especially those suffering from heart disease or cancer, are aware of the link between an 8-hour eating interval and a higher risk of cardiovascular death” and that dietary recommendations take the measures into account. the health of each individual.

Details of the study
Approximately 20,000 adults with an average age of 49 (half men and half women) participated in the study and were followed for between 8 and 17 years.

73.3% of participants were White, 11% Hispanic, 8% Black, and 6.9% of other races, including mixed race.

“Overall, this study suggests that time restriction may have short-term benefits but long-term adverse effects,” concludes Christopher D. Gardner, professor of medicine at Stanford University (California).

However, the authors recognize the limitations of the study, which should be supplemented in the future with additional information on the nutritional quality of the diet of different subgroups of participants and more information to compare demographic data and baseline characteristics of groups classified in different intervals of food restriction.

In addition, the authors caution that by including self-reported dietary data, study participants may have made memory errors or omissions.