Health · Medical Research · 4 hrs ago
Late-night eating linked to higher liver disease risk in long-term study
A 16-year study of nearly 200,000 US health professionals found that people who ate after dinner or bedtime were more likely to develop liver disease.
About 29% of participants reported eating late, and none had liver disease when the study began.
Late eaters had a 36% higher rate of fatty liver disease and a 28% higher rate of cirrhosis than other participants.
The links remained after researchers accounted for weight, diet quality, alcohol use and other health factors.
The findings matter because meal timing may be linked to liver health, and the liver follows the body's internal clock.
But the study shows an association, not proof that late eating causes liver damage, and it does not say what people should do next.
A 16-year study of nearly 200,000 health professionals linked late-night eating with higher rates of fatty liver disease and cirrhosis.
The association remained after researchers accounted for weight, diet quality, alcohol and other factors.
Late-night eaters developed fatty liver disease at a rate 36 percent higher than other participants and cirrhosis at a rate 28 percent higher.
The study relied on participants’ reports and cannot show that late-night eating caused liver disease.
Researchers said meal timing may matter for health because the liver follows circadian rhythms.
- Who
- Researchers led by Robert Wilechansky of Oregon Health & Science University, with colleagues there and at Massachusetts General Hospital, analyzed data from 199,155 health professionals.
- What
- The study linked eating after dinner or bedtime with higher rates of fatty liver disease and cirrhosis.
- When
- Participants were followed for a median of 16 years. The study was published on November 2, 2026.
- Where
- The data came from three long-running American health surveys.
- Why
- The study examined whether meal timing was associated with liver disease. The authors said they cannot establish that late eating caused the diseases.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The 199,155 participants had no liver disease; their eating habits and other health information were recorded in surveys.
Participants reported what and when they ate.
4,492 participants developed fatty liver disease and 315 developed cirrhosis.
- Participants
- 199,155 nurses and other health professionals
- Study duration
- Median of 16 years
- Late-night eaters
- About 29 percent of participants
- Fatty liver disease
- 4,492 participants developed it
- Cirrhosis
- 315 participants developed it
- Associated rate increase
- 36 percent for fatty liver disease; 28 percent for cirrhosis
What people are saying
It is not only what or how much you eat, but also the timing of when you eat that matters for your health.
I think we were somewhat surprised by the strength of the relationship
We know the liver is very much in tune with the body’s circadian rhythms