Validating Intermittent Fasting for T2D, with Felicia Steger, PhD, RD

Two kinds of intermittent fasting, time-restricted eating (TRE) and intermittent energy restriction (IER), led to clinical improvements in HbA1c, glucose AUC, and body weight, in new findings from a 6-month lifestyle intervention in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Investigator Felicia Steger, PhD, RD, Assistant Professor, Endocrinology, Diabetes and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Kansas Medical Center, presented these findings at the 2025 American Diabetes Association (ADA) Scientific Sessions, held June 20-23, in Chicago, Illinois.

HCPLive spoke with Steger during the meeting to learn more about the intervention, which evaluated effects of TRE+ER and IER alone and how it aims to add more evidence to the field on intermittent fasting’s potential for helping manage T2D. Notably, the intervention included people with T2D that are taking insulin, something that she noted was atypical in other similar studies.

Steger went over the trial’s safety and efficacy findings, stressing that the trial prioritized safety of its participants in regard to medication modulation and preventing hypoglycemic events. She also discussed questions that remain with intermittent fasting in T2D and high priority research that she would like to see conducted next.

“One of the things that we wanted to do was actually provide some evidence that patients with type two diabetes who are a little bit more progressed in the disease states, could still benefit from intermittent fasting,” Steger told HCPLive. “Many studies that have patients with type two diabetes in trials with intermittent fasting are excluding those that are taking insulin. So that's one difference between other trials and our study, we actually included those folks who are taking insulin to see, can we do this safely and effectively?”

Steger has no relevant disclosures to report.

REFERENCE

Steger F, Grdinovac K, Donnelly J, et al. Effects of a 6-Month Lifestyle Intervention for Type 2 Diabetes Featuring Intermittent Energy Restriction or Time-Restricted Eating on Glucose Tolerance and Body Weight. Presented at: ADA 2025; June 20-23; Chicago, Illinois. Poster #1910 LB