Changes in testosterone levels during the fasting month of Ramadan

Abstract EN

During the month ofMuslimfasting (Ramadan) many people alter their sleeping habits and stay awake most of the night.

In this study / looked into the ef fect ofthis alter-ation as well as the effect offasting on testosterone and its circadian variation in fifty-eight (58) healthy adults.

Forty-six (46) of the subjects showed alteration of the diurnal variation during the third week offasting.

Thirty-eight (38) »tales showed significant increase in evening testoster-one level and eight (8) f emales showed significant decrease of morning testosterone level (P < 0.

001 in both).

These findings suggest that alteration ill sleeping [)attern during Ramadan has a significant effect testosterone levels.

Introduction: The secretion oftestosterone is variable during life.

In healthy young boys of pubertal age, the testosterone level starts increas-ing and exhibits a diurnal variation in early puberty whereby the serum testosterone levels are higher during the night and low or immeasurable during the day(1).

In adult life , that is from puberty to around the age of 70, there is an increase of the serum testosterone levels but the circadian لااهألا؛ء is now changed whereby the early morning level is highest and the evening level is low(2’3).

After the age of 70 the serum testoster-one level decreases again^؛.

In healthy women the testosterone levels are much lower than adult men and the diurnal variation in the level is similar to that found in early pubertal boys (high in the evening and low in the morning)'؛*.

One of the most important obligations for adult Muslims is the observance of the fasting month of Ramadan which falls annually during the ninth month of the Islamic lunar year.

Dur-ing this month, Muslims abstain from drinking, eating, smok-