Time-of-day and Meal Size Effects on Clinical Lipid Markers

Eating at night resulted in triglyceride levels being reached with approximately half the calories compared to daytime eating.

• Triglyceride levels were 10% higher during a 24-hour period when meals were consumed hourly than with a typical three-meal schedule.
• Endogenous circadian rhythms of triglycerides peaked at night and were shifted earlier by approximately 10 hours under baseline conditions.
• Total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol levels remained unchanged and peaked in the afternoon.
• The findings suggest a time-of-day dependency in lipid metabolism that may contribute to dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease risk in shift workers.

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