How Meal Timing Influences Cardiovascular Risk in Menopausal Women

As a clinical nutritionist, I often hear from women that they have stopped breakfast to aid in weight loss or are fasting and skipping breakfast. However, a recent study has found that delaying breakfast can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

The transition through menopause often brings various health concerns, including an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Amidst these concerns, recent research has illuminated the potential impact of meal timing on heart health, particularly for menopausal women.

Investigating the Link Between Eating Patterns and Heart Health

In a groundbreaking study focusing on dietary habits and their effects, researchers observed over 103,389 participants, with a strong representation of menopausal women, given their mean baseline age of 42.6 years. This research is part of the ongoing NutriNet-Santé cohort study dedicated to understanding nutrition's role in health, particularly relevant to the menopausal demographic is more vulnerable to CVDs.

Volunteers reported their mealtimes, dietary intake, lifestyle, and CVD incidents. The subsequent analysis over a 7.2-year median period showed intriguing associations between the timing of meals and the risk of cardiovascular events, adjusting for other health-determining factors.

Key Findings Relevant to Menopausal Women’s Cardiovascular Health

Delaying the day's first meal correlated with an increased risk of overall CVD. This finding is significant for menopausal women, who already face heightened CVD risk due to hormonal changes. Thus, maintaining a routine that includes a timely breakfast could be particularly beneficial in mitigating this risk.

Moreover, the study reported that having the last meal of the day later in the evening was linked to a higher risk of cerebrovascular disease. This suggests that menopausal women could benefit from earlier dining to reduce their susceptibility to such conditions.

Adapting Meal Timing for Optimal Benefit

Key takeaway: for menopausal women looking to reduce their increased risk of cardiovascular disease, integrating an earlier meal pattern could be a simple yet powerful strategy. The research supports wrapping the evening’s last meal well before night sets in and underscores how a prompt breakfast is pivotal in maintaining heart health during and beyond menopause.

For advice on what to eat and when to eat for optimal ageing and menopause, book your free 15-minute chat today.

References

Anna Palomar-Cros, Bernard Srour, Valentina A Andreeva, Léopold K Fezeu, Alice Bellicha, Emmanuelle Kesse-Guyot, Serge Hercberg, Dora Romaguera, Manolis Kogevinas, Mathilde Touvier, Associations of meal timing, number of eating occasions and night-time fasting duration with incidence of type 2 diabetes in the NutriNet-Santé cohort, International Journal of Epidemiology, Volume 52, Issue 5, October 2023, Pages 1486–1497, https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyad081