Meal Timing and Blood Pressure

The Impact of Meal Timing on Neurovascular Control in Adults

Brain blood flow, blood pressure, and neurovascular control mechanisms will be measured in middle-aged adults before and after a brief intervention period. The intervention will consist of changing the time in which the participant consumes food each day.

Healthy adults experience a 10-20% decrease in night-time blood pressure, compared with day-time blood pressure. However, 20-40% of middle-aged adults do not demonstrate a decrease in blood pressure. Abnormal blood pressure patterns are linked to sleep disturbances, hypertension, and associated with elevated cardiovascular risk and mortality. Additionally, abnormal diurnal blood pressure patterns are associated with impaired neurovascular control of the circulation, contributing to an increased risk of hypertension, stroke, and cardiovascular disease. Importantly, midlife is the critical period for implementing interventions to prevent or delay future cardiovascular disease. Recent data demonstrates that time-restricted feeding may normalize blood pressure patterns. The overall goal of this study is to determine if time-restricted feeding normalizes blood pressure patterns and improves neurovascular control.

The research aims are:

1. To determine the effect of meal timing on blood pressure patterns in middle-aged adults.
2. To determine the effect of meal timing on neurovascular control in middle-aged adults.

Inclusion Criteria:

• BMI ≤ 34 kg/m2
• Non-smoking
• Sedentary or recreationally active
• ≤ 2 Alcoholic drinks per day
• Female subjects: Perimenopausal/Postmenopausal

Exclusion Criteria:

• History or evidence of hepatic, renal, hematological, peripheral vascular disease, or stroke/neurovascular disease, diabetes, uncontrolled hypertension, sleep apnea
• On medications used to treat/manage diseases listed above
• Work overnight shifts
• Clinically diagnosed anxiety or depression
• Pregnant or trying to become pregnant
• Significant surgical history
• Other significant medical conditions at investigator's discretion