Can mealtimes influence metabolic health and cancer related endpoints in humans? Below is the distribution of night-time fasting (by hours) of women in the NHANES study:
Therefore, some patients are already nightly fasting. A longer nightly fasting is associated with better glycemic control and lower CRP levels. She then discussed the Women’s Healthy Living and Eating Study, which was a randomized controlled dietary intervention study among 3088 breast cancer survivors. Patients were followed longitudinally, and measurements were repeated at baseline, 1 and 4 years. Clinical endpoints assessed were breast cancer events (7.3 years follow-up) and mortality (cancer-specific and overall).
- Nighttime fasting durations were estimated from time-stamped dietary recalls
- Breast cancer recurrence was significantly lower in patients who had nightly fasting >= 13 hours vs. < 13 hours
- HR for Breast cancer specific survival (nightly fasting >= 13 hours vs. < 13 hours): HR 1.21, p = 0.19
- There was no difference In overall mortality either
After 1 month, they noticed the following results:
While not expected (and not explained to the patients as a potential benefit), they noted a 1 kg weight loss in 1 month regardless of race. Mean nightly fast was 13-13.2 hours – from a baseline of 10.6-10.8 hours. There was no difference based on race.
Most importantly:
- 90% said the fast was easy
- 90% said that they could fast > 12 hours
- 70% said they preferred text messaging over telephone counseling
- 90% found fasting somewhat pleasant
Take-Home Statement: Prolonged nightly fasting may be a strategy to reduce cancer risk and excess morbidity and mortality among cancer survivors.
Presented by: Catherine Marinac, PhD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston
Written by: Thenappan Chandrasekar, MD Clinical Instructor, Thomas Jefferson University, twitter: @tchandra_uromd at the 19th Annual Meeting of the Society of Urologic Oncology (SUO), November 28-30, 2018 –Phoenix, Arizona