Maternal circadian eating time and frequency are associated with blood glucose concentrations during pregnancy

Abstract

Background: Synchronizing eating schedules to daily circadian rhythms may improve metabolic health, but its association with gestational glycemia is unknown. Objective: This study examined the association of maternal night-fasting intervals and eating episodes with blood glucose concentrations during pregnancy. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study within a prospective cohort in Singapore. Maternal 24-h dietary recalls, fasting glucose, and 2-h glucose concentrations were ascertained at 26-28 wk gestation for 1061 women (aged 30.7 6 5.1 y). Night-fasting intervals were based on the longest fasting duration during the night (1900-0659). Eating episodes were defined as events that provided > 50 kcal, with a time interval between eating episodes of ≥15 min. Multiple linear regressions with adjustment for confounders were conducted. Results: Mean 6 SD night-fasting intervals and eating episodes per day were 9.9 6 1.6 h and 4.2 6 1.3 times/d, respectively; fasting and 2-h glucose concentrations were 4.4 6 0.5 and 6.6 6 1.5 mmol/L, respectively. In adjusted models, each hourly increase in night-fasting intervals was associated with a 0.03 mmol/L decrease in fasting glucose (95% CI: 20.06, 20.01 mmol/L), whereas each additional daily eating episode was associated with a 0.15 mmol/L increase in 2-h glucose (95% CI: 0.03, 0.28 mmol/L). Conversely, night-fasting intervals and daily eating episodes were not associated with 2-h and fasting glucose, respectively. Conclusions: Increased maternal night-fasting intervals and reduced eating episodes per day were associated with decreased fasting glucose and 2-h glucose, respectively, in the late-second trimester of pregnancy. This points to potential alternative strategies to improve glycemic control in pregnant women. This study was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01174875.