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News
A first-of-its-kind pilot trial found that time-restricted eating (TRE) is safe and well-tolerated in patients with early-stage Huntington's disease. The 12-week study of 20 patients also showed encouraging improvements in cognitive and motor function, along with a notable drop in a key biomarker of disease progression.
For the first time, researchers have tested time-restricted eating (TRE) — limiting food intake to a 6–8 hour daily window — in humans with Huntington's disease (HD), and the results are encouraging. The 12-week open-label pilot trial of 20 early-stage HD patients found the diet to be safe and well-tolerated, with no moderate or serious adverse events and strong adherence rates.
Beyond safety, the study showed meaningful signals of benefit. Patients saw improvements in overall disease severity, processing speed, verbal memory, and motor function. Perhaps most striking was a 12.6% reduction in plasma neurofilament light chain (NfL) — a biomarker of neurodegeneration — which typically increases by 10–18% annually in HD patients.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: There are currently no approved therapies to slow HD progression in the US. TRE is accessible, low-cost, and now has a safety signal in humans — making it a compelling candidate for a larger randomized controlled trial, which the team is already planning.
