Aligning Clocks: Time-Restricted Eating to Improve Cardiovascular Health in Hypertensive Older Adults Who Skip Breakfast
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Summary
This study will examine whether eating earlier in the day within a consistent 8-hour eating window can improve heart and blood vessel health in older adults with high blood pressure who often skip breakfast. Participants will be randomly assigned to either follow an early time-restricted eating schedule or continue their usual eating habits for 12 weeks. Researchers will measure blood pressure, blood vessel function, and biological markers related to the body's internal clock and oxidative stress to better understand how meal timing affects cardiovascular health.
Description
Aging is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, largely due to elevated blood pressure (BP) and endothelial dysfunction. These conditions are common in older adults and often coexist, and breakfast skipping has emerged as an additional contributor. Delaying the first meal creates misalignment between central and peripheral circadian rhythms that regulate vascular and metabolic processes. This misalignment alters cortisol patterns and impairs glucose and insulin responses, increasing inflammation and oxidative stress. These disturbances weaken endothelial function and disrupt vascular…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 60+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Men and women ≥ 60 years old * Average office systolic BP ≥130 mmHg5 * Self-reported skipping breakfast for at least 3 days in the past 7 days * Identified as having a morning or evening chronotype according to the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire68 * Stable health history over the past 2 months * Stable medication history over the past 2 months, as recommended by the primary provider * Willing and able to provide informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Fasting \>13 hours per day * Actively trying to lose weight by participating in formal weight loss program or si…
Interventions
- BehavioralEarly Time-Restricted Eating (eTRE)
Participants in the eTRE group will be asked to fast for a target of 16 hours per day (eat ad libitum within the 8-hour eating window, starting between 6:30-9:30 am), 6 days/week for 12 weeks. Participants will be allowed to consume calorie-free beverages, sugar-free gum, and will be encouraged to drink plenty of water throughout the entire intervention period.
Location
- University of Alabama at BirminghamBirmingham, Alabama