Eating More After 6 PM May Increase Women’s Risk of CVD

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk is higher among women who consume a greater proportion of their daily caloric intake later at night, according to new research presented at the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Scientific Sessions 2019. 

To reach this conclusion, the researchers evaluated the cardiovascular (CV) health among 112 women in the AHA Go Red for Women Strategically Focused Research Network. This subset—who had a mean age of 33 years—used the web-based National Institutes of Health Automated Self-Administered 24-hour Dietary Assessment Tool to complete a 1-week food record at baseline and 1 year.

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Using the data that the participants recorded, the researchers measured the proportion of daily caloric intake consumed after 6 PM and 8 PM. And using the AHA Life Simple 7 score, the researchers assessed the participants’ CV health. After adjusting for age and socioeconomic status, the researchers then analyzed the evening caloric intake in relation to CV health and cardiometabolic risk factors, including body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP), and glycemic markers.

Doing this, the researchers determined that while most participants consumed some food after 6 PM, those who consumed a higher proportion of their daily caloric intake after this time were more likely to have poorer overall CV health as well as higher BP, hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) levels, and BMI.

At baseline, each 1% increase in proportion of daily caloric intake consumed after 8 PM was associated with a lower AHA Life Simple 7 score and higher diastolic BP.

By analyzing the year 1 data, the researchers determined that every 1% increase in proportion of daily caloric intake consumed after 6 PM was associated with a lower AHA Life Simple 7 score, as well as with higher BMI, systolic BP, diastolic BP, and HbA1c level. Furthermore, every 1% increase in proportion of daily caloric intake consumed after 8 PM was associated with a lower AHA Life Simple 7 score and higher diastolic BP.

The researchers also found that both at baseline and at 1 year, the associations of evening caloric intake with BP were stronger among the 44% of Hispanic women who composed the subset.

“Findings suggest that being mindful of the timing and [proportion of daily caloric intake] of evening meals may be important for lowering [CV] risk and warrant confirmation in a larger sample,” the researchers concluded.

—Colleen Murphy

Reference:

Makarem N, Sears DD, St-Onge MP, et al. 176 - Evening caloric intake is associated with cardiovascular health in women: results from the American Heart Association Go Red for Women Strategically Focused Research Network. Paper presented at the American Heart Association’s 2019 Scientific Sessions; November 16-18, 2019; Philadelphia, PA. https://www.abstractsonline.com/pp8/#!/7891/presentation/26786. Accessed November 5, 2019.