Effect of Ramadan fasting on hypertension and diabetes

Abstract EN

The effect of fasting during the Holy month of Ramadan (1416H) on 28 patients (12 male, 16 female) with chronic illnesses was studied.

The patients' mean age was 57 ( 11.9 years.

Seven of the 28 patients (4M, 3F) had essential hypertension; 17 (7M, I OF) had NIDDM and 4 <1M, 3F) had both hypertension as well as NIDDM.

All the patients were taking oral medications on a regular basis for their illnesses.

Initial physical (body weight, blood pressure, pulse rate, height) and laboratory measurement (fasting blood glucose level) were done at the beginning of Ramadan, then at 2 and 4 week intervals.

Analysis of the data showed that the systolic and diastolic blood pressure, body weight as well as pulse rate showed decreases during Ramadan.

Fasting blood glucose levels increased and fluctuated.

A statistically significant difference was observed between the pre- and post-fasting values for some data such as body weight, blood pressure, and fasting blood glucose (P < 0.05).

However, these differences were small in magnitude.

An increase in the fasting blood glucose levels was observed at the end of second week of fasting among all patients, but levels increased more obviously in those patients with Diabetes.

It appears that, given the decrease in body weight, that total caloric intake may not increase during Ramadan, but rather, the diet changes in composition, with more food of high sugar content.