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Fasting for Cardiovascular Health

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Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease

Part of the book series: Contemporary Cardiology ((CONCARD))

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Abstract

While fasting is an ancient practice, research over the last decade has highlighted its potential as a method of obtaining weight loss and other cardiometabolic health benefits. Several different patterns of fasting have emerged, including alternate-day fasting (ADF), 5:2 intermittent fasting (IF), time-restricted eating (TRE), and periodic fasting. Preclinical data in animals are impressive, demonstrating that periods of zero or few calories can result in not just weight loss, but other health benefits. Subsequent data in humans have been steadily accumulating and show beneficial effects in populations at high risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, including patients with overweight or obesity, type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and also patients at a normal weight. One mechanism behind these benefits may be related to a metabolic switch from use of glucose as fuel in the fed state to use of ketones, which influence genes involved in health and longevity and improve cellular response to stress. It is important to evaluate the data as well as the feasibility and safety of each fasting method. Certain fasting patterns may be appropriate to recommend to select patients as lifestyle modification for prevention of cardiovascular disease.

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Acknowledgment

Figure 9.1 was created with BioRender.com.

Figure 9.2 was created by Christina Pecora, MSMI.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA

    Elizabeth S. Epstein, Kathryn Maysent & Michael J. Wilkinson

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  1. Elizabeth S. Epstein
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  2. Kathryn Maysent
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  3. Michael J. Wilkinson
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Correspondence to Michael J. Wilkinson .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA

    Michael J. Wilkinson

  2. Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, USA

    Michael S. Garshick

  3. Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA

    Pam R. Taub

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Epstein, E.S., Maysent, K., Wilkinson, M.J. (2021). Fasting for Cardiovascular Health. In: Wilkinson, M.J., Garshick, M.S., Taub, P.R. (eds) Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease. Contemporary Cardiology. Humana, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-78177-4_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-78177-4_9

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