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Do the Effects of Early Time-Restricted Eating Vary by Cardiometabolic Phenotype, Age, Sex, or Race? A Secondary
Zaurayze Rehman1, Olivia M Altonji2, Felicia L Steger3
1Department of Nutrition, University of Alabama Heersink School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, United States.
Background:
Time-restricted eating (TRE), the most popular form of intermittent fasting, induces weight loss and may improve cardiometabolic health, but less is known about the effects in certain populations.
Objectives:
We performed a secondary analysis to determine the effectiveness of early TRE (eTRE) in subgroups with elevated cardiometabolic risk factors and to determine whether the effects vary by age, sex, or race.
Methods:
Adults aged 25-75 y with obesity (BMI: 30-60 kg/m2) undergoing weight-loss treatment were randomized to eat in an 8-h period from 07:00 to 15:00 (eTRE) or over a ≥12-h period (control) for 14 wk. We performed subgroup analyses to: 1) assess the effects of eTRE in individuals with hypertension, prediabetes, insulin resistance, hypercholesterolemia, and severe obesity, and 2) determine whether the effects differ by age, sex, or race.
Results:
eTRE lowered diastolic blood pressure by 9 ± 4 mm Hg (P = 0.047) in adults with systolic blood pressure ≥130 mm Hg and by 4 ± 2 mm Hg (P = 0.04) in adults with hypertension relative to the control group. In prediabetic adults, eTRE lowered hemoglobin A1c by 0.3% ± 0.1% (P = 0.04), whereas in adults with hypercholesterolemia, it reduced HOMA-IR by 2.96 ± 1.46 (P = 0.04). Interestingly, in adults with severe obesity, eTRE increased total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 21 ± 9 and 17 ± 7 mg/dL, respectively (P = 0.03). There were no differences by sex or age. eTRE improved blood pressure and glycemic endpoints more in Black participants than White participants, although the number of Black participants was small (n = 13).
Conclusions:
The results of this exploratory analysis suggest eTRE may be a promising intervention to treat hypertension and prediabetes. Any differences by sex and age are likely minor. eTRE's effects on cholesterol in adults with severe obesity and potential racial differences merit further investigation. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03459703.
