A recent study suggests that intermittent fasting may be associated with a 91% increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but experts are skeptical of this finding.

The study was presented March 18 at the American Heart Association’s Preliminary Research Conference. The study analyzed survey data from more than 20,000 adults who followed an 8-hour time-restricted eating schedule (also known as intermittent fasting) and compared them to those who fasted. 12-16 hours per day. Researchers examined information about the dietary patterns of participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, conducted annually from 2003 to 2018, and compared it to the CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for people who died between 2003 and December 2019. Comparisons were made with mortality index data.

The study found that people who restricted their eating hours to less than eight hours a day had a 91% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, and that restricting eating hours did not reduce the overall risk of death from any cause. There was found.

“We were surprised to discover that people who followed an 8-hour time-restricted eating schedule were more likely to die from cardiovascular disease. This type of diet is popular because it offers short-term benefits. However, our study clearly shows that “compared to the typical eating time range of 12 to 16 hours a day, shorter eating times were not associated with longer life.” said lead author Dr. Victor Wenze Zhong, an epidemiologist at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. China’s medical school said in an AHA release.

But experts are skeptical of the findings that made headlines this week.

As an example, the study has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal, and the longest intermittent fasting trial lasted only one year, Dr. Zhong said. new york times.

The study also had limitations, as participants were required to complete two questionnaires less than two weeks apart asking about their meals the previous day. The researchers calculated the participants’ average meal times and assumed that this was their typical schedule. Participants were followed for an average of eight years, but only 414 were in the eight-hour feeding group, Dr. Zhong said. These people were younger, less educated, less wealthy, more likely to smoke, and less likely to have access. The study also does not show that this dietary style causes deaths from cardiovascular disease, only that there is a link between the two.

Previous research has shown that intermittent fasting improves cardiometabolic health indicators such as blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels.