Association of late eating with colorectal adenomas: a cross-sectional study

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is linked to lifestyle exposures. However, changes in the CRC rates among younger populations remain poorly understood and suggest the existence of yet unidentified factor(s) that may contribute to colon carcinogenesis. Here, we investigated the potential role of time of eating in the risk of pre-cancerous colonic neoplasms (tubular adenoma: TA).

We enrolled 663 participants undergoing screening colonoscopies. Data on food timing, dietary intake, sleep/wake patterns, and chronotype were collected through structured questionnaires. Late eating was defined as the consumption of food or snack within a 3-hour window of sleep onset for at least four days a week. Pathology reports confirmed the histology of colonic polyps, and adenomas were further classified into risk categories.

A total of 644 patients met criteria for our study. There were 270 (42.2%) participants classified as late eaters. Compared to non-late eaters, the odds of TA were higher in late eaters (OR = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.05-2.03, p = 0.023), an association which was strengthened after adjusting for multiple confounders (OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.19-3.28, p = 0.008). Late eating remained an independent risk factor for high-risk as well as multiple TAs.

This study proposes late eating as a risk factor for colon tubular adenomas and underscores the potential role of less studied forms of circadian disruption imposed by time of eating in the development of colon neoplastic formation.