IntermtnMedCtr - New study explores effects of intermittent fasting on diabetics

Short Summary

Main recommendation: No diet change is recommended yet; Intermountain Medical Center is recruiting people with mildly elevated cholesterol and prediabetes, diabetes controlled by diet, or metabolic syndrome for a six-month trial of once-weekly 24-hour water-only fasting. The study is intended to be rigorous enough to support FDA approval of a drug or device, since existing evidence is mostly animal studies and small pilot studies. Dr. Benjamin Horne says the goal is to see whether this regimen can pull people back from a chronic-disease diagnosis.

Key Points

• Earlier pilot work suggests routine fasting may lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and insulin resistance, though no good randomized trial has been published yet.
• Fasting regimens vary widely (every other day, twice a week, or five days in one month), so the best schedule is unclear.
• The team chose once-weekly fasting because it is expected to be more tolerable than every-other-day fasting while still having an effect.
• The trial aims to enroll 128 participants, split evenly between a standard diet and once-weekly fasting.

Details Worth Noting

• Concrete instructions: Eligible participants fast once a week for 24 hours, drinking only water, for six months; the control group keeps a standard diet.
• Concrete instructions: Interested people should call Intermountain Medical Center and speak with a research coordinator to check eligibility; the number shown on screen is 801-507-4698 (the host referred to it (seemingly misspeaking) as the "Wonderful Study" when giving the phone number).
• Eligibility thresholds depend on age and are based on medical guidelines: for people up to 39, and up to 64 if they have an indication for a statin, the target is cholesterol just below the medication threshold.
• The study is aimed at people who do not yet qualify for cholesterol medication but may want a lifestyle option to lower their levels.
• More study information is available on the Intermountain Medical Center website.

Bottom Line

The study is testing whether a once-weekly 24-hour water fast can help at-risk adults lower cholesterol and delay chronic disease, but results are not yet known.