Overview
- Researchers reported results from a 7.5-week randomized study of 39 overweight or obese adults aged 36–75 testing an extended overnight fast aligned with sleep.
- Participants in the intervention stopped eating at least three hours before bedtime to reach a 13–16 hour fasting window, while controls maintained an 11–13 hour window.
- Both groups dimmed lights three hours before sleep, and only meal timing was altered, not total calorie intake.
- Nighttime blood pressure fell by 3.5% and heart rate by 5% in the intervention group, which also showed improved daytime glucose handling and insulin response.
- The peer-reviewed findings, published Feb. 12 in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, note high adherence (~90%), small sample size, and plans for larger multi-center trials.