Intermittent fasting strategies and their effects on body weight and other cardiometabolic risk factors: systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials
Abstract
Abstract Objective To assess the effect of intermittent fasting diets, with continuous energy restriction or unrestricted (ad-libitum) diets on intermediate cardiometabolic outcomes from randomised clinical trials. Design Systematic review and network meta-analysis. Data sources Medline, Embase, and central databases from inception to 14 November 2024. Eligibility criteria for selecting studies Randomised clinical trials comparing the association of intermittent fasting diets (alternate day fasting, time restricted eating, and whole day fasting), continuous energy restriction, and ad-libitum diets were included. Main outcomes Outcomes included body weight (primary) and measures of anthropometry, glucose metabolism, lipid profiles, blood pressure, C-reactive protein, and markers of liver disease. Data synthesis A network meta-analysis based on a frequentist framework was performed with data expressed as mean difference with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The certainty of the evidence was assessed using grading of recommendations assessment, development, and evaluation (GRADE). Results 99 randomised clinical trials involving 6582 adults of varying health conditions (720 healthy, 5862 existing health conditions) were identified. All intermittent fasting and continuous energy restriction diet strategies reduced body weight when compared with ad-libitum diet. Compared with continuous energy restriction, alternate day fasting was the only form of intermittent fasting diet…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a meta-analysis, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid. Reported size: 6,582 participants or records.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Improving sleep quality leads to better mental health: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
- Tocilizumab in patients with severe COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study
- A new aging measure captures morbidity and mortality risk across diverse subpopulations from NHANES IV: A cohort study
- Fruit, vegetable, and legume intake, and cardiovascular disease and deaths in 18 countries (PURE): a prospective cohort study
- Are noise and air pollution related to the incidence of dementia? A cohort study in London, England
- Long COVID symptoms and duration in SARS-CoV-2 positive children — a nationwide cohort study
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.