Health · Medical Research · 7 hrs ago
Late eating and sleep patterns linked to metabolic risks in adults with obesity
A study led by researchers at UTHealth Houston linked late sleep and eating patterns with higher metabolic risk in adults with obesity.
The researchers compared participants’ preferred sleep timing with when they ate, and found that night owls had more metabolic syndrome risk factors than early risers.
The greatest risk was among people who stayed up late and ate late at night.
Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that raises the risk of heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes.
Participants with higher metabolic risk also showed signs of a weakened intestinal barrier, which can let substances pass into the bloodstream and trigger inflammation.
Some participants whose gut barrier improved after a microbiome-targeted intervention had more beneficial gut bacteria, suggesting the gut microbiome may be a changeable link between daily rhythms and metabolic health.
A UTHealth Houston-led study found that adults with obesity who stayed up later and ate later had more traits associated with metabolic syndrome.
The greatest metabolic risk was observed among people who combined a late chronotype with late-night eating.
Researchers linked higher metabolic risk with signs of a weakened intestinal barrier and inflammation.
The findings suggest that gut microbiome changes may help connect disrupted daily rhythms with metabolic health.
The study was published in iScience.
- Who
- Researchers led by Faraz Bishehsari of UTHealth Houston studied adults with obesity.
- What
- The study linked later sleep and eating patterns with more metabolic syndrome risk factors and signs of gut barrier problems.
- When
- Published on November 10, 2026.
- Where
- The study was led by UTHealth Houston. The participants’ location is not stated.
- Why
- Researchers examined how sleep and meal timing relate to metabolic health and whether gut changes may help explain the connection.
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- Study lead
- Faraz Bishehsari, UTHealth Houston
- Publication
- iScience
- Study group
- Adults with obesity
- Highest metabolic risk
- Late chronotype combined with late-night eating
- Gut finding
- Higher metabolic risk was associated with signs of “leaky gut
What people are saying
We have long recognized the importance of what we eat for metabolic health, but we are increasingly learning that when we eat may also matter.
One intriguing possibility is that the gut microbiome and intestinal barrier help explain how disruptions in our daily biological rhythms are connected to metabolic inflammation.