Supper Timing and Cardiovascular Mortality: The Japan Collaborative Cohort Study

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular epidemiology
• Nutritional science
• Public health

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of mortality globally.
• Limited evidence exists on the impact of meal timing, specifically supper, on CVD development.
• Understanding lifestyle factors like eating habits is crucial for CVD prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between supper timing and mortality risk from stroke, coronary heart disease (CHD), and total CVD.
• To determine if irregular meal patterns influence cardiovascular outcomes.
• To provide evidence-based recommendations for healthier eating habits to mitigate CVD risk.

Main Methods:

• A large cohort study involving 28,625 males and 43,213 females aged 40-79 years, free from CVD and cancer at baseline.
• Participants were categorized into early supper (before 8:00 p.m.), irregular supper, and late supper (after 8:00 p.m.) groups.
• Cox proportional hazards regression models were employed to analyze hazard ratios (HRs) for CVD mortality over a 19-year follow-up period.

Main Results:

• Over 19 years, 4706 deaths from total CVD were recorded.
• Irregular supper timing was significantly associated with a 1.44-fold increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke mortality compared to early supper.
• No significant associations were found between supper timing and mortality from other stroke types, CHD, or overall CVD.

Conclusions:

• Adopting an irregular supper timing pattern is linked to a higher risk of fatal hemorrhagic stroke.
• Consistent supper timing, particularly before 8:00 p.m., may be a protective factor against specific cardiovascular events.
• Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the relationship between meal timing and stroke risk.