Intermittent fasting has been gaining traction as a trendy weight loss strategy for years, but this eating plan has recently come under the spotlight for another reason: it can be harmful to your heart health.

On March 18, the American Health Association released research linking intermittent fasting to an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease. The findings, presented by researchers at an AHA conference and not published in a peer-reviewed journal, were met with immediate skepticism from medical experts who pointed to their limitations.

Intermittent fasting involves eating and not eating repeatedly over a period of time. The study specifically focused on a type of intermittent fasting called time-restricted eating, which limits the times during the day when people can eat. Scientists have found that people who follow a 16:8 diet, or only eat within 8 hours, have a 91% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than those who eat over 12 or 16 hours. discovered.

“Recognizing the link between heart disease and cancer is important for patients, especially those with pre-existing heart disease or cancer,” lead author Dr. Victor Wenze Zhong, professor of medicine at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said in a press release. That is important.” 8-hour meal window and increased risk of cardiovascular death. ”

But Heba Wasif, MD, MPH, a cardiologist in the Cleveland Clinic Department of Cardiovascular Medicine who was not connected to the study, cautioned against placing too much weight on the study results. “Until we have more information, we can only say that there will be long-term effects.” [of time-restricted eating] It’s still unclear,” she said.

There’s more to know about the study, including why experts warn against putting too much weight on the findings.

Researchers collected information from more than 20,000 U.S. adults enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which aims to assess the health and nutritional status of U.S. adults and children between 2003 and 2018. investigated.

Participants were approximately equal in number to men and women. Approximately three-quarters were white, 11% were Hispanic, 8% were black, and the remainder identified as another racial category.

Participants reported details about their dietary intake and survey patterns on two separate days. Researchers followed participants for an average of eight years.

In addition to finding a general association between eating only within eight hours and a higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease, researchers found that They also found that people with the disease had a 66% increased risk of stroke and death from stroke and cardiovascular disease. Heart disease. Participants with cancer were also more likely to die from heart disease.

The study found no association between time-restricted eating and increased life expectancy.

Zhong said in a press release that this study does not suggest that intermittent fasting increases the risk of cardiovascular death, only that there is a link between the two.

said Dr. Paul Reese, assistant professor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. health He said the finding was an “interesting observation” but warned that the study had important limitations.

Experts noted that the study was based on self-reported information, which could be inaccurate in some cases.

Additionally, the study did not reveal enough information about the participants’ underlying health conditions, Reese said. “The study did not say how many of those patients had diabetes,” he explained. “How many of them had heart disease? Were there other contributing factors? What was their physical activity? What was their BMI? I wish I had seen all that information. It was.”

In addition to watching, he also when Participant ate, he wants to know it what They ate.

“We don’t know what they are. [participants] I was eating during that time,” he said. “What were they eating during those eight hours? Was it a balanced diet, or did they have to eat something in that time, so they didn’t eat anything in a hurry?” Was he eating something?”

Dr. Stephen Kopecky, a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic’s Department of Cardiovascular Medicine in Rochester, Minn., echoed similar sentiments. “People who don’t have a lot of time to eat can end up eating less,” he says. “It could be ultra-processed foods, which have been shown to cause increased mortality from heart disease and cancer. That may be part of what contributed to the study results.”

Wasif said he found the findings surprising because “previous studies have shown the benefits of this type of diet.”

In fact, some studies suggest that intermittent fasting may improve health by lowering blood pressure, inflammation, and cholesterol.

And Rice says there’s evidence to suggest it can help with weight loss.

“When people fast, they use up their glycogen stores and then switch into ketosis, where they break down fatty acids to get energy,” he explained. “There is data to support this reset, which ultimately results in weight loss.”

Reese believes there is a “role for intermittent fasting to benefit people at high risk for cardiovascular disease,” but anyone considering starting intermittent fasting should consult their doctor. We recommend that you decide which plan is right for you.

“Maybe the 16:8 method won’t work, but the 12:12 method will,” he added. “Patients should discuss with their doctor what fits their profile.”