(OR14-01-23) Effect of 8-Hour Time Restricted Eating Versus Daily Calorie Restriction on Body Weight and Glycemic Control in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes

Objectives: Time restricted eating (TRE) is a form of intermittent fasting that involves confining the period of eating to 8-h and fasting with zero-calorie beverages for 16-h. Short-term studies (2-3 month) suggest that 8-h TRE is effective for weight loss and improved glycemic control in patients with prediabetes. What remains unknown is whether these improvements by TRE would be seen in subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and whether these benefits are comparable to that of daily calorie restriction (CR). Accordingly, this study compared the effect of 8-h TRF versus CR and a no-intervention control group on body weight, cardiometabolic risk factors and glycemic control in overweight and obese adults with T2DM.

Methods: Overweight and obese adults with type 2 diabetes (n = 57) were randomized to 1 of 3 interventions for 6-months: 8-h TRE (ad libitum eating between 12:00 to 8:00 pm, water fasting between 8:00 to 12:00 pm); CR (25% energy restriction daily); or control (ad libitum food intake with no meal timing restrictions).

Results: By month 6, body weight decreased significantly (P < 0.003) in the TRE group (-4.7 ± 4.0%; -5.0 ± 5.2 kg), versus CR (-1.6 ± 2.3%; 1.9 ± 2.6 kg) and controls (-0.8 ± 3.4%). Fat mass decreased significantly (P = .025) in the TRE group (-3.0 ± 3.0 kg) versus controls (-0.4 ± 2.7 kg), but not versus CR (-1.1 ± 2.8 kg). HDL increased significantly (P = .038) in the TRE group (3.3 ± 4.8mg/dl), versus CR (-1.4 ± 6.8mg/dl), but not versus controls (1.3 ± 4.4mg/dl). Changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, visceral fat mass, lean mass, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, HbA1C and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) did not differ between groups at month 6. Adherence to TRE remained high throughout the trial, with subjects adhering to the 8-h eating window on 6 ± 1 days/week.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that TRE produces a greater degree of weight loss, body fat loss, and increase in HDL over 6-months compared to CR and controls. Neither TRE nor CR produced any significant changes in cardiometabolic risk factors and glycemic control over 6 months.

Funding Sources: National Institutes of Health