The effect of intermittent fasting regimens as a feasible approach on Metabolic Syndrome: A literature review

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a growing problem worldwide. Gulf countries, being part of the Middle East, have shown a high prevalence of metabolic syndrome. MetS typically reflect the clustering of individual cardiometabolic risk factors including central obesity, elevated fasting plasma glucose, dyslipidemia, and elevated blood pressure. Intermittent fasting (IF) has gained prominence as a promising approach for weight loss and mitigation of metabolic syndrome. This review investigates the effect of current evidence of intermittent fasting on metabolic syndrome. Three databases were used to identify studies between 2010 and 2021 using relevant selected keywords to explore the evidence of intermittent fasting's impact on metabolic syndrome. The article selection was made based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria concerning the participants' characteristics, study design, intervention protocols, and targeted dependent variables. We assessed 834 studies for eligibility and Twenty-one articles were identified and reviewed in our narrative synthesis. Overall, the available evidence suggests that IF is considered effective for losing weight, normalizing blood glucose, reducing lipids, and lowering blood pressure, particularly among obese subjects. Studies are urgently needed especially, randomized controlled trials with a long-term follow-up period of the abovementioned four variables.