Eating only at certain times may protect night shift workers from heart disease
NCT ID NCT06550115
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looks at whether time-restricted eating (eating only during certain hours) can improve blood pressure and insulin sensitivity in people who work night shifts. Night shift workers are at higher risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Researchers will compare 4 weeks of time-restricted eating to normal eating patterns in 50 chronic night shift workers.
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
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a simple dietary strategy to reduce heart disease and diabetes risk in night shift workers.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small early-stage study with only 50 participants, so results may not apply to all shift workers. The intervention is behavioral, so adherence may vary and long-term benefits are unknown.
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
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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
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About 50 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Mar 2024
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2029
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 to 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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: * 18-65 years old * worked the night shift for the last 1 year or more, * habitually sleep 5-9 hours per 24h period (night shift workers typically experience chronic insufficient sleep), * body mass index (BMI) of 20.0 - 35.0 kg/m2 and weight stable (plus or minus 5% of current body weight in the last 6 months); sedentary to mild physical activity level (less than 2 days of planned exercise per week); Exclusion Criteria: * existing diagnosed sleep or eating disorder (e.g. obstructive sleep apnea \[OSA\], periodic limb movements of sleep \[PLMS\], narcolepsy, travel more than 1 time zone in 3 weeks before the study; anorexia nervosa, more than one food allergy to maintain flexibility in diet planning); * following any TRE (time-restricted eating) or intermittent fasting plan in the last year; * following any special diet plan, like paleo, keto, gluten-free or vegan, that can affect the primary lipid outcome measures in the last 6 months; any clinically significant surgical condition within the last year; * diagnosed diabetes or cardiovascular disease * The prevalence of insomnia in shift workers is fairly high, ranging from 12.8% to 76.4%, which is higher than estimated for the general population. Insomnia itself is associated with elevated neural cardiovascular responsiveness to stress compared to people without insomnia. Thus, since excessive sleepiness and symptoms of insomnia may be present in night shift workers they will not be exclusionary.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Colorado State University
RECRUITINGFort Collins, Colorado, 80523, United States
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