Long-term intermittent fasting could harm the heart

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Time-restricted eating, also called intermittent fasting, has become an extremely popular weight loss method over the past several years. About 10% of Americans over 18 have tried intermittent fasting for some period of time, according to the International Food Information Council. 

The simplicity of this diet method is part of its appeal. Intermittent fasting involves eating only during a shortened window of time each day, forcing the body into a quasi-fasting state where it burns more fat for fuel. The diet has been found to be effective for weight loss in many studies, while others have pointed to health benefits including lower cholesterol and blood pressure, improved insulin sensitivity and more.

But the news about intermittent fasting is not all good. A recently published long-term analysis of more than 20,000 U.S. adults found that those who fasted for 16 hours or more per day were more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than peers who ate normally over the course of 12-16 hours per day.

Key findings of the analysis, which spanned a period of between eight and 17 years, included:

• People who followed a pattern of eating all of their food across less than 8 hours per day had a 91% higher risk of death due to cardiovascular disease.

• Among people with existing cardiovascular disease, an eating duration of 8-10 hours per day was also associated with a 66% higher risk of death from heart disease or stroke.

• Time-restricted eating did not reduce the overall risk of death.

"We were surprised to find that people who followed an 8-hour, time-restricted eating schedule were more likely to die from cardiovascular disease. 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," said senior study author Victor Wenze Zhong, Ph.D.

Zhong noted that, although the study noted a long-term relationship between intermittent fasting and cardiovascular death, this doesn't mean that time-restricted eating was the cause. He said its findings should encourage a more cautious, personalized approach to dieting.