Study: Intermittent Fasting Tied to Cardiovascular Death Risk

Facts

• According to a study conducted by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, time-restricted eating, or intermittent fasting, could be linked to a higher risk of dying from heart disease.¹
• The analysis, presented at the American Heart Association's scientific sessions in Chicago on Monday, is based on data collected by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention between 2003 and 2018.²
• The researchers analyzed responses from around 20K adults who recorded what they ate for at least two days, then studied who had died from cardiovascular disease after a follow-up period of eight years.³
• The study found that people who had eaten their food in an eight-hour window and fasted for 16 hours a day were 91% more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than participants who ate across 12 or 16 hours.⁴
• Senior study author Prof Victor Wenze Zhong said that long-term adoption of eight-hour time-restricted eating wasn't associated with living longer or having a lower overall risk of all-cause death.⁵
• Previous studies have associated the intermittent fasting eating pattern with better health, suggesting it could help maintain blood sugar and cholesterol levels and aid in weight loss.⁶

Sources: ¹Sky News, ²The Hill, ³LiveScience, ⁴Independent, ⁵EurekAlert! and ⁶Today.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by BBC Science Focus Magazine. It's too early to reject intermittent fasting — which promotes better sleep and metabolic function because it's better aligned with circadian rhythms — based on one study alone. Moreover, scientists haven't explained exactly why time-restricted eating could heighten the risk of cardiovascular death. Just because it could reduce muscle mass over time doesn't imply that intermittent fasting may kill its followers. This research must be peer-reviewed before it can rock the scientific consensus on healthy diets.
• Narrative B, as provided by Heart. The "16:8" diet has become an increasingly popular way to lose weight. However, intermittent fasting can increase cravings, which may lead to unhealthy food choices. While it could be beneficial in the short term, intermittent fasting's long-term effects must be investigated, particularly with people who are already predisposed to cardiovascular death. This research doesn't suggest any recommendation against the fad; it simply recommends caution for those who have been doing time-restricted eating for years.

Predictions