Can a 16-Hour fast supercharge heart rehab?

NCT ID NCT05075317

Completed Disease control Sponsor: University of Toronto Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.

First seen Aug 20, 2026 · Last updated Aug 21, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests whether time-restricted eating—eating only between 11 am and 7 pm—can safely and effectively boost the benefits of standard cardiac rehabilitation for people with coronary artery disease. About 45 participants will be randomly assigned to either standard rehab alone or rehab plus the eating schedule, and researchers will track adherence, fitness, and body fat. The goal is to see if this fasting approach is a practical addition that improves heart health outcomes.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Time-restricted eating (eating only between 11 am and 7 pm, fasting for 16 hours) combined with standard cardiac rehabilitation
What this could lead to: If it works, adding time-restricted eating to cardiac rehab could improve heart health, fitness, and body composition more than rehab alone.
What could go wrong: This is a small early-stage trial, so results may not apply widely. Fasting may be hard to stick to and could cause side effects like hunger or low energy.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

45 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Jul 2022

Finished

Jul 2025

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Men and women who are referred and eligible for either the outpatient cardiac rehabilitation program for coronary artery disease or peripheral vascular disease * willing to accept random assignment and complete the study assessments * Equal numbers of men and women will be recruited Exclusion Criteria: * Inability to complete the consent form and communicate in English * Self-reported history of an eating disorder * Current or recent (1 year) pregnancy or breast feeding * Body mass index \<18.5 kg/m\^2 or clinical signs of cachexia * Contraindications or inability to perform cardiopulmonary exercise testing * Type 1 diabetes * Type 2 diabetes that requires exogenous insulin * Working night or rotating shifts * Eating window \<12 hours or consistently eating less than 3 meals/day in the past 3 months

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

coronary artery disorder Intermittent Fasting

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE

Contacts and locations

Locations

Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network

Toronto, Ontario, M4G 1R7, Canada

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.