Page 63 - Today's Dietitian (February 2020)

Why long-term intermittent fasting
leads to better health outcomes is still
largely unknown, though Horne said it
could be a host of factors. Fasting affects
a person’s levels of hemoglobin, red blood
cell count, and human growth hormone,
and lowers sodium and bicarbonate levels,
while also activating ketosis and autoph-
agy—all factors that may reduce risk of
heart failure and coronary heart disease.
“With the lower heart failure risk that we
found, which is consistent with prior mech-
anistic studies, this study suggests that
routine fasting at a low frequency over two-
Intermittent Fasting May Increase thirds of the lifespan is activating the same
biological mechanisms that fasting diets are
Longevity in Cardiac Catheterization proposed to rapidly activate,” Horne notes.
Researchers speculate that fasting
routinely over a period of years and even
In a new study at the Intermountain survival and lower risk of heart failure, decades conditions the body to activate the
Healthcare Heart Institute in Salt Lake City, according to researchers. potentially beneficial mechanisms of fasting
researchers found that intermittent fasting The Intermountain Healthcare Heart after a shorter length of time than usual.
was associated with longer lifespan among Institute has the opportunity to closely Typically, it takes about 12 hours of
cardiac catheterization patients compared study intermittent fasting because a fasting for the effects to be activated,
with cardiac catheterization patients who large portion of its patients do it regu- but long-term routine fasting may cause
didn’t practice this dietary pattern. In addi- larly; a significant portion of Utah’s pop- that time to be shortened so that each
tion, the study found that patients who ulation belongs to the Church of Jesus routine faster’s daily evening/over-
practice intermittent fasting are less likely Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose mem- night fasting period between dinner and
to be diagnosed with heart failure. bers typically fast the first Sunday of the breakfast produces a small amount of
“It’s another example of how we’re month by going without food or drink daily benefit, they note.
finding that regularly fasting can lead to for two consecutive meals, and thus not Further studies that will answer this
better health outcomes and longer lives,” eating for about one day. question and other questions related to
says Benjamin Horne, PhD, principal inves- While the study doesn’t show that possible mechanisms of effects on devel-
tigator of the study and director of cardio- fasting has a causal relationship with opment of chronic disease and survival
vascular and genetic epidemiology at the better survival, these real-world out- are ongoing. Additional research also will
Intermountain Healthcare Heart Institute. comes in a large population do suggest examine potential psychological effects
In the study, researchers asked 2,001 that fasting may be having an effect and of fasting and possible effects on appe-
Intermountain patients undergoing car- urge continued study of the behavior. tite and perception of hunger.
diac catheterization from 2013 to 2015 “While many rapid weight loss fast- Fasting isn’t for everyone. Research-
a series of lifestyle questions, including ing diets exist today, the different pur- ers caution that pregnant and lactating
whether they practiced routine intermit- poses of fasting in those diets and in this women shouldn’t fast, as well as young
tent fasting. Researchers then followed study should not be confused with the children and frail older adults. People
up with those patients 4.5 years later and act of fasting,” Horne says. “All proposed who have received an organ transplant,
found that routine fasters had greater biological mechanisms of health benefits who have a suppressed immune system,
survival rate than those who didn’t. from fasting arise from effects that occur who are experiencing acute or severe
Because people who fast routinely during the fasting period or are conse- chronic infections, and who have an
also are known to engage in other health- quences of fasting.” eating disorder also shouldn’t fast.
ful behaviors, the study also evaluated Horne previously has conducted studies People diagnosed with chronic dis-
other parameters including demographics, about risk of diabetes and coronary artery eases—especially those who take medica-
socioeconomic factors, cardiac risk fac- disease in patients and found that rates tions for diabetes, blood pressure, or heart
tors, comorbid diagnoses, medications and are lower in patients who practice routine disease—shouldn’t fast unless under the
treatments, and other lifestyle behaviors intermittent fasting. Those studies were close care and supervision of a physician
such as smoking and alcohol consumption. published in 2008 and 2012 and suggested because of the severe adverse effects,
Correcting statistically for these that the decades-long development of such as hypoglycemia, that medications in
factors, long-term routine fasting those chronic diseases may be ameliorated combination with fasting can cause.
remained a strong predictor of better by long-term routine fasting. SOURCE: INTERMOUNTAIN HEALTHCARE

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