A recent study suggested that people who practice intermittent fasting may face a significantly higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.
The research, published in the journal Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research and Reviews, analysed the dietary patterns and health outcomes of more than 19,000 adults over an eight-year period.
Participants were asked to recall all food and drink consumed over two non-consecutive days, allowing researchers to estimate their typical daily eating windows.
Those who ate within a window of fewer than eight hours per day showed a 135% higher risk of cardiovascular death compared to those who ate across 12 to 16 hours.
The increased risk was consistent across socioeconomic groups but more pronounced among smokers and people with diabetes or existing heart disease.
The researchers warned that these groups, in particular, should be cautious about maintaining narrow eating windows over the long term.
Victor Wenze Zhong, the lead author of the study, said that the findings are “not unexpected” because “diet is a major driver of diabetes and heart disease”.
In a linked editorial, Anoop Misra, a leading endocrinologist, acknowledged that intermittent fasting has been linked to benefits like weight loss and improved insulin sensitivity but also highlighted risks such as nutrient deficiencies, unstable blood sugar in diabetics, and possible muscle loss in older adults.
“However, the potential downsides include nutrient deficiencies, increased cholesterol, excessive hunger, irritability, headaches and reduced adherence over time,” he said.
“For people with diabetes, unmonitored fasting risks dangerous drops in blood sugar and promotes junk food intake during the eating window. For older adults or those with chronic conditions, prolonged fasting may worsen frailty or accelerate muscle loss.”
However, the study has drawn criticism from some experts. Dhiman Kahali, a cardiologist at BM Birla Heart Hospital, called the research “not conclusive,” citing flaws in its design and methodology.
He emphasised that there is still no strong evidence that intermittent fasting directly harms the heart and noted that it may help reduce obesity — a major risk factor for heart disease — by controlling calorie intake.
“There have been some recent studies, including this joint study, that suggested short eating windows might increase the risk of heart problems and even death. But this study has been widely criticised for its design and methods, so it cannot be considered conclusive,” Khali said
“Currently, there is no strong evidence that intermittent fasting harms the heart. In fact, it may help by reducing calorie intake and helping control obesity, which is a major cause of heart disease.”
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