Study shows 8-hour time-restricted eating linked to higher risk of cardiovascular death

A study of over 20,000 U.S. adults has found that people who limited their eating across less than eight hours per day, a time-restricted eating plan, were more likely to die from cardiovascular disease compared to people who ate across 12-16 hours per day.

Time-restricted eating involves limiting the hours for eating to a specific number of hours each day, which may range from a four- to 12-hour time window in 24 hours.

Many people who follow a time-restricted eating diet follow a 16:8 eating schedule, where they eat all their foods in an eight-hour window and fast for the remaining 16 hours each day.

In the study, presented at the American Heart Association's session held in Chicago from Monday to Thursday, researchers investigated the potential long-term health impact of following an eight-hour time-restricted eating plan.

The study found people who followed a pattern of eating all of their food across less than eight hours per day had a 91 percent higher risk of death due to cardiovascular disease.

People with heart disease or cancer also had an increased risk of cardiovascular death, according to the study.

Compared with a standard schedule of eating across 12-16 hours per day, limiting food intake to less than eight hours per day was not associated with living longer, the study found.

"It's crucial for patients, particularly those with existing heart conditions or cancer, to be aware of the association between an eight-hour eating window and increased risk of cardiovascular death," said senior study author Zhong Wenze, a professor and chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

"Our study's findings encourage a more cautious, personalized approach to dietary recommendations, ensuring that they are aligned with an individual's health status and the latest scientific evidence," he noted.