Does Intermittent Fasting Lower Blood Pressure & Cholesterol
By R.Davies, PhD・Fasting
Published May 26, 2026 | 5 min read
Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, and high blood pressure and cholesterol are two of the most prominent risk factors that can be reduced by lifestyle changes. In this article, we’ll look at the effects of intermittent fasting on blood pressure, cholesterol and cardiovascular health.
Cardiovascular disease does not usually arrive without a warning. It builds, slowly and quietly, over decades. The increases in blood pressure, worsening lipid and cholesterol profiles, an expanding waist and inflammation are all early signs.
All these changes are connected, and rarely occur by themselves. But the good news is that they can be controlled by what and when you eat. Intermittent fasting appears to address several of these cardiovascular health 'risk factors' at the same time.
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Understanding Cardiovascular Health
You’ve probably had your blood pressure measured before. When it's too high (called “hypertension”), it damages your blood vessels, strains your heart, and dramatically increases the risk of heart attacks and stroke. Globally, hypertension is the single biggest cause of early death [1]. It is often called a "silent disease" because it produces no symptoms for years.
Cholesterol, your "lipoproteins", and your blood lipids are slightly more complex. Cholesterol itself is essential — your body uses it to build cell membranes, produce hormones, and synthesise vitamin D. The problem isn’t cholesterol itself; it’s how it's transported. Cholesterol is carried inside lipoproteins, and there are a few types.
- Low-density lipoproteins (“LDL” or “bad cholesterol”) carry cholesterol away from your liver.
- High-density lipoproteins (“HDL” or “good cholesterol”) carry cholesterol toward the liver, where it gets processed.
- Triglycerides (or "TGs") are a type of fat that your blood carries — too much of it is bad for your cardiovascular health.
The different amounts of these different types of cholesterol and fats are referred to as your blood lipid profile or panel. Low HDL, high LDL and triglycerides often occur together, which creates an environment that damages your blood vessels over time. Small dense LDL particles, VLDLs (“very low-density lipoprotein”), tend to block your blood vessels and cut off blood and oxygen to your tissues, which keeps them alive.
How Does Intermittent Fasting Affect Blood Pressure?
The evidence is pretty consistent: intermittent fasting can measurably reduce blood pressure, most obviously in those who are overweight and are hypertensive. You can expect, on average, a 2-7 mmHg decrease in your systolic pressure (the “top number”) and a 2-4 mmHg decrease in the bottom number (your 'diastolic' pressure) [2].
Decreased blood pressure occurs, even without any weight loss, meaning that intermittent fasting's blood pressure-lowering effects are not just a result of the weight loss [3]. However, it seems that the positive effects of intermittent fasting on blood pressure are not any better than a standard calorie-restricted diet. They are both effective at lowering blood pressure, but neither is better than the other [4]. So it seems that just reducing the amount of calories (and possibly other things in your diet) is most important.
In the short-term, fasting reduces the amount of sodium your body retains. Sodium loves water, so if the amount of sodium in your blood decreases, the volume of fluid in your blood will also decrease; this, in turn, goes on to decrease your blood pressure [5]. This can occur within days of starting an intermittent fasting protocol.
Over a few months of fasting, fat loss can occur. Some types of fat (“visceral fat”) produce substances that affect how your blood vessels regulate your blood pressure [6]. Inflammation can also impair how your blood vessels keep your blood pressure under control, which intermittent fasting also decreases as well [7].
Does Intermittent Fasting Lower Cholesterol & Blood Lipids?
Intermittent fasting appears to meaningfully reduce the “bad” LDL cholesterol levels, the total amount of cholesterol in your blood and increase HDL “good” cholesterol in people who are overweight or obese [4].
The rare shift from small LDL to the larger HDL is particularly beneficial at reducing cardiovascular disease, and may not always be picked up on standard blood tests. Alongside the overall decrease in cholesterol and the lipoprotein profile shifts, intermittent fasting also decreases your blood triglycerides.
Elevated triglycerides are usually a result of eating too much food, too much fat and sugar. So it is not surprising that both intermittent fasting and calorie-restriction diets lower your triglycerides.
In addition to limiting the quantity (and possibly the type) of foods that you eat, fasting also supports fat loss (including loss of visceral fat and liver fat). Improving the function of your liver is generally good for your cholesterol levels, as it's your liver that helps control how much and what type of cholesterol and fat you have in your system.
Intermittent fasting also improves your insulin sensitivity. Insulin is a really important hormone which regulates a lot of things in your body. One of them is controlling the amount of triglycerides that are released and cleared from your blood. Better insulin sensitivity generally means you clear triglycerides more effectively from your blood, keeping their levels low.
Does Intermittent Fasting Reduce Cardiovascular Disease?
So intermittent fasting reduces nearly all cardiovascular disease risk factors: body weight, body fat, visceral and liver fat, blood pressure, cholesterol, LDL and HDL, triglycerides, insulin resistance and inflammation.
Improving all of these, all at the same time, in the right way certainly suggests that intermittent fasting reduces the chances of cardiovascular disease. However, there is not as strong evidence showing that it actually reduces cardiovascular disease outcomes (like heart attacks, strokes, or cardiovascular disease deaths).
This is not unusual, though. These types of studies are difficult, expensive and take a long time to do properly. It is inferred that if you can improve cardiovascular disease risk factors, you'll also reduce your chances of having or dying from cardiovascular disease.
Intermittent Fasting for Cardiovascular Health in Practice
Who is most likely to benefit?
The most obvious benefits of intermittent fasting are seen in people who are overweight or obese, or have higher baseline levels to start with (e.g., high blood pressure or cholesterol).
Which Fasting Protocol is Best?
There is no clear winner. Several studies have shown that standard calorie-restriction diets are equally effective for improving some risk factors. In general, time-restricted eating (e.g., 16:8 or 14:10) has the most robust evidence, particularly the early time-restricted eating windows [3].
Alternate-day fasting and fasting-mimicking diet have also shown beneficial effects on cardiovascular risk factors. However, these types of fasts are generally harder to maintain and need medical supervision if you’re on medication or in a high-risk group.
What to Eat Within Your Eating Window?
A successful fast does not compensate for a poor diet. Cardiovascular disease outcomes are particularly sensitive to what you eat. Mediterranean-style diets (whole foods, plant-based, low-sodium, red meat and processed foods) are effective at lowering cardiovascular disease risk on their own, when compared to standard Western diets. Intermittent fasting and healthy eating should be complementary, not a substitute for one another.
How Soon Can You Expect Results?
Blood pressure reductions should be detectable within days to weeks, depending on the fasting protocol and your baseline health. Changes in your cholesterol and lipids take a bit longer, usually a few months.
The improvements are modest rather than dramatic or life-changing, so fasting is complementary, rather than a front-line primary treatment. It should be paired with other lifestyle changes (e.g., physical activity, nutrition, sleep and stress).
Who Should Avoid Fasting?
People who are on statins or medication that may affect their blood pressure, lipids, insulin or blood sugar levels need to consult a healthcare professional first and will probably need medical supervision if fasting is even advised.
People with a history of or current cardiovascular disease or cardiovascular issues need professional guidance and supervision as well, as fasting can affect their heart function. The same goes for people with liver or kidney disease.
Pregnant or breastfeeding women, people with a history of eating disorders, people who work night shifts, and those who have risky occupations (or operate heavy machinery) are also generally advised to avoid fasting.
Key Takeaways
Intermittent fasting produces consistent, measurable improvements in several cardiovascular risk factors. It lowers blood pressure, reducing LDL and triglycerides, and modestly increases HDL, reducing the chances of cardiovascular disease developing and improving cardiovascular health.
Intermittent fasting is a legitimate and well-supported dietary tool for improving cardiovascular risk factors, especially in people at higher risk of cardiovascular disease (e.g., overweight, obese, high blood pressure and cholesterol). However, it is not a replacement for standard routine cardiovascular healthcare; it can be a complement to it.
Sources
1. Mills KT et al. The global epidemiology of hypertension. Nat Rev Nephrol. 2020 Apr;16(4):223-237. PMID: 32024986
2. Wang W et al. Beneficial effect of time-restricted eating on blood pressure: a systematic meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2022 Nov 8;19(1):77. PMID: 36348493
3. Sutton EF et al. Early Time-Restricted Feeding Improves Insulin Sensitivity, Blood Pressure, and Oxidative Stress Even without Weight Loss in Men with Prediabetes. Cell Metab. 2018 Jun 5;27(6):1212-1221.e3. PMID: 29754952
4. Sun ML et al. Intermittent fasting and health outcomes: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials. EClinicalMedicine. 2024 Mar 11;70:102519. PMID: 38500840
5. Grundler F et al. Blood Pressure Changes in 1610 Subjects With and Without Antihypertensive Medication During Long-Term Fasting. J Am Heart Assoc. 2020 Dec;9(23):e018649. PMID: 33222606
6. Mathieu P et al. Visceral obesity: the link among inflammation, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Hypertension. 2009 Apr;53(4):577-84. PMID: 19237685
7. Wang X et al. Effects of intermittent fasting diets on plasma concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutrition. 2020 Nov-Dec;79-80:110974. PMID: 32947129
Published: May 26, 2026
Lead Author: R.Davies, PhD, MRes, BSc, CPT, FHEA | Author Bio
Dr Davies is a physiologist specialising in human health, performance and nutrition.
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