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.

The analysis, first presented Monday at the American Heart Association’s scientific session in Chicago, found that people who restrict their eating to less than eight hours a day eat between 12 and 16 hours a day. They were found to have a 91 percent higher risk of fatal cardiovascular disease than humans. Several hours a day.

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 It has not yet been peer-reviewed or published.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.

Zhong told NBC News that it was too early to issue specific recommendations based on the analysis, saying, “Practicing intermittent fasting for a short period of time, such as 3 months, will help you lose weight.” and may have an effect on improving cardiometabolic health.” He said people should use “extreme” caution about long-term intermittent fasting, NBC News reported.