Fasting After 60? Gaps Between Meals Tied to Faster Disease in Older Adults
The association was strongest in adults 78 and older, and researchers said the study cannot prove that meal timing caused the faster buildup.
- On Thursday, August 20, 2026, a Karolinska Institutet study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine found older adults with longer daily meal intervals accumulate chronic diseases more rapidly than those with shorter gaps.
- Researchers analyzed data from 2,981 participants in the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen, known as SNAC-K, following individuals aged 60 and older for up to 15 years.
- Individuals who left 14 to 24 hours between meals showed faster disease accumulation compared to those with 6 to 11.5 hour gaps, with effects most pronounced among participants aged 78 and older.
- The study found associations with cardiovascular and neuropsychiatric diseases but not musculoskeletal conditions; Adrián Carballo Casla, the study's last author, noted the research cannot establish whether fasting patterns independently caused these outcomes.
- Interest in fasting diets has surged in recent years, but scientists caution these trends may not suit older populations, as relatively little is known about how meal timing specifically impacts health in this age group.
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Longer intervals between meals associated with faster accumulation of chronic diseases
Older adults who typically had longer intervals between meals accumulated chronic diseases more rapidly over time than those with shorter intervals, according to a study from Karolinska Institutet published in the Journal of Internal Medicine.
Why long gaps between meals may not be healthy for older people – new study
Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock.comGoing for much of the day without eating is often promoted as a way to improve health or lose weight. But a new study suggests that long gaps between meals may have different effects on older adults – especially those in the oldest age groups. For the study, my colleagues and I followed nearly 3,000 people aged 60 and over in Sweden and found that those who usually went longest without eating developed chronic diseas…
Fasting Linked To Faster Disease Accumulation
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Longer meal intervals linked to faster disease accumulation in older adults
Older adults who typically had longer intervals between meals accumulated chronic diseases more rapidly over time than those with shorter intervals, according to a study from Karolinska Institutet published in the Journal of Internal Medicine. The association was most pronounced among people aged 78 years and older.
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