Intermittent fasting helps breast cancer survivors limit their CVD risk

In In The News by Barbara Jacoby

By: Jessica Kania

From: cardiovascularbusiness.com

Older, overweight breast cancer survivors may be able to limit their risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) through time-restricted eating, according to a new analysis in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.[1]

The study focused on 22 participants who were over the age of 60, had a body mass index of 25 or more and had completed cardiotoxic chemotherapy treatments. The patients were asked to limit their eating to the hours of 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays. After just eight weeks of following the restrictions, participants’ median 10-year Framingham Risk Score dropped 15%, decreasing from 10.9% to 8.6%.

Framingham Risk Scores under 10% are classified as “low risk,” the study noted, and breast cancer survivors at a low risk experience 38% fewer cardiac events than those at intermediate risk.

“This rigorously designed, well-executed single-arm feasibility study generates important hypotheses and questions about the role of time restricted eating relevant to cancer survivors,” said Bonnie Ky, MD, MSCE, editor-in-chief of JACC: CardioOncology in an official statement about the study.

In addition to fasting for 16 hours per day, participants also kept records of what they ate during the final week of the study. Compared with records of what they ate before the study began, researchers found that time-restricted eating was also associated with a median drop of 450 calories per day per participant.

The decrease in caloric intake was noteworthy because participants could eat anything they wanted during the eight-hour daily window. Outside of the window, they were asked to limit themselves to water, black coffee, and black tea.

In many ways, the results generate more questions than it does answers. Ky noted further areas for follow-up research, such as examining the reasons that some study participants saw greater impacts than others.

“For example, what is the basis of the inter-individual variation of the response to time restricted eating in the Framingham Risk Score, and will this help identify patients who are most likely to benefit from this strategy? How does diet quality affect these findings?” Ky asked.

If long-term decreases are indeed sustainable, finding out the answers to these questions could decrease health care costs while offering major benefits to at-risk breast cancer survivors.

“We look forward to seeing research using practical lifestyle interventions continue to evolve and advance to improve the lives of our patients and survivors.”

Reference:

1. Kirkham A, Ford K, Topolnyski J, et al. Time-Restricted Eating to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk Among Older Breast Cancer Survivors. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. April 18, 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaccao.2022.03.002