Intermittent fasting tied to a higher risk of cardiovascular death, research shows 

Intermittent fasting – a diet that alternates between periods of voluntary fasting and periods of non-fasting – may be associated with an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease, according to a new analysis.

analysis, The paper, first presented Monday at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions in Chicago, found that people who restrict their eating to less than eight hours a day are less likely to eat for 12 to 16 hours a day than those who eat for 12 to 16 hours a day. In comparison, they were found to have a 91 percent increased risk of fatal cardiovascular disease.

Researchers noted that increased risk of cardiovascular death was also observed in people with heart disease and cancer. People with pre-existing cardiovascular disease who eat for eight to 10 hours a day had a 66 per cent higher risk of dying from heart disease or stroke, the analysis said.

Intermittent fasting, in which you eat for 6 to 8 hours and then fast for the remaining 16 to 18 hours, has grown in popularity over the past decade. Research suggests this diet can help you lose weight, reduce the risk of diseases such as cancer, lower blood pressure, and increase energy.

The analysis, by researchers at China’s Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, was based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from 2003 to 2018 on 20,000 adults across the United States. It has not yet been peer-reviewed or published. Academic journal. However, few studies have specifically investigated the long-term effects of intermittent fasting on the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

“Restricting your daily diet to short periods of time, such as eight hours a day, has become increasingly popular in recent years as a way to lose weight and improve heart health,” said study lead author Victor Wenze Zhong, Ph.D. I mentioned it in my paper. statement. “However, the long-term health effects of time-restricted eating, including the risk of death from any cause or cardiovascular disease, are unknown.”

Zhong said researchers were “surprised” to find that people on intermittent fasting diets had an increased risk of cardiovascular death.

“While this type of diet was popular due to its potential short-term benefits, our study found that compared to the typical eating window of 12 to 16 hours per day, “The evidence clearly shows that short time is not associated with longevity,” he wrote.

Zhong said the findings encourage individuals to be more cautious about their dietary choices, stressing that these choices should be “tailored” to an individual’s health status.

The study results do not mean that intermittent fasting caused cardiovascular death, and further research will focus on the ‘biological mechanisms’ behind the association between diet and adverse cardiovascular effects. need to be done, he added. He noted that the study also relied on individuals’ memories of what they ate.

plow told NBC News It is too early to make specific recommendations based on the analysis, which suggests that “short-term intermittent fasting, such as three months, may be effective in reducing weight and improving cardiometabolic health.” “There is a gender,” he wrote in the same magazine. He said people should use “extreme” caution about long-term intermittent fasting, NBC News reported.