An analysis of nearly 200,000 participants led by Oregon Health & Science University researchers reveals that late-night eating after dinner or bedtime is associated with a 20% to 30% higher risk of liver disease, including MASLD and cirrhosis. Published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the observational study highlights how nighttime food consumption disrupts the liver's circadian rhythms and nutrient processing, offering potential meal-timing interventions.
OHSU study findings and methodology
- ▪Researchers in the Oregon Health & Science University study tracked participants for a median of 16 years, identifying 4,477 cases of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and 312 cases of cirrhosis.
- ▪Researchers led by Dr. Robert Wilechansky at Oregon Health & Science University analyzed dietary and health data from nearly 200,000 participants across the Nurses' Health Study, Nurses' Health Study II, and Health Professionals Follow-up Study.
- ▪An Oregon Health & Science University study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology linked late-night eating to a 20% to 30% higher risk of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and liver cirrhosis.
Study background, limitations, and future research
- ▪Oregon Health & Science University researchers are recruiting participants for a new clinical study to directly monitor eating habits and determine whether eating earlier improves clinical measures of underlying fatty liver disease.
- ▪Evidence involving health risks among night shift workers prompted Dr. Robert Wilechansky to investigate whether irregular meal timing contributes to liver disease.
- ▪Lead author Dr. Robert Wilechansky cautioned that the Oregon Health & Science University study is observational and relied on broadly defined, self-reported eating habits and diagnoses.
Biological mechanisms linking late eating to health risks
- ▪Night shift workers whose work schedules conflict with natural day-night biological cycles experience elevated rates of obesity and heart disease.
- ▪Oregon Health & Science University circadian physiologist Andrew McHill stated that eating during the night when the internal biological clock promotes sleep reduces nutrient metabolism efficiency, potentially leading to obesity, diabetes, and impaired liver health.
- ▪Previous animal model studies showed that the liver is among the organs most susceptible to misalignment between eating and sleep timing.
Prevalence and rise of fatty liver disease
- ▪Cases of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease have increased 143% over the last three decades as calorific food consumption has risen.
- ▪Fatty liver disease affects up to 30% of the United States population, though only a small fraction of affected individuals develop serious conditions like liver cirrhosis.
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