Fasting during the month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. During this month, adult Muslims are obligated to refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk. Although based on Islamic principles patients are exempted from fasting, each year, many Muslim patients express their willingness to observe the fast in Ramadan month to respect the cultural customs. There are concerns ab...

The effect of Ramadan fasting on fasting serum glucose (FPG) is still a matter of controversy. One hundred and fifteen healthy volunteers fasted for > or = 25 days during Ramadan. Blood samples were taken 1 week before Ramadan and on the 14th and 28th day of Ramadan. Serum glucose was determined by the glucose oxidase method. FPG decreased from 88.4 + 9.0 mg/dl to 62.9 +/- 7.7 mg/dl (p < 0.001)...

Background & Aim: Changes in the dietary pattern and the timing of medications during the Ramadan fast could influence the outcomes of renal diseases in fasting patients. The aim of this study was to review the literatureon the effects of fasting during Ramadan on kidney diseases. Methods: Citations were extracted from PubMed and the Medline database from 1991 through 2013using the keywords “re...

During the month of Ramadan, all healthy, adult Muslims are required to fast from dawn to sunset. Fasting during Ramadan involves abstaining from food, water, beverages, smoking, oral drugs, and sexual intercourse. Although the Quran exempts chronically ill from fasting, many Muslims with diabetes still fast during Ramadan. Patients with diabetes who fast during the month of Ramadan can have ac...

BACKGROUND To determine whether Islamic fasting would change cerebral blood flow during Ramadan. METHODS The study group comprised 20 subjects (16 males and 4 females) on a regimen of 1 month food and water intake restriction, according to Islamic fasting ritual. Subjects were evaluated for cerebral bolo flow through a middle cerebral artery (MCA) by means of transcranial Doppler (TCD), the d...

BACKGROUND Many pregnant Muslim women choose to fast during Ramadan every year worldwide. This study aimed to examine the effect of Ramadan fasting on serum leptin, neuropeptide Y and insulin in pregnant women and find whether fasting during pregnancy could have a negative effect on the health of mothers and fetuses. METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted on 39 healthy volunteer fas...

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and is observed by Muslims as a month of fasting. All Muslim adults are expected to fast; nevertheless certain subgroups, including sick, frail subjects, and pregnant women, among others, are exempted. Ramadan fasting has been shown to impact on body systems in different manners. The influence of Ramadan fasting on immune system regulatio...

BACKGROUND The epidemiology of diabetes and Ramadan fasting was reported from many Muslim countries, but not from Libya. METHODOLOGY We interviewed 493 consecutive diabetic patients at Benghazi Diabetes and Endocrine Center for the potential complications of fasting during Ramadan. RESULTS We found 70% of diabetic patients completed the 30 days of Ramadan fasting. Hypo- and hyperglycemia wa...

ost healthy adults in Muslim communities practice fasting during the holy month of Ramadan. This kind of fasting involves daily abstinence from food and water, from sunrise to sunset, a period that lasts approximately 12 to 17 hours, depending on the season and geographical latitude. Ramadan is a lunar month, which lasts 28 to 30 days and its length changes along the solar year. Ramadan fasting...

BACKGROUND Fasting during Ramadan is an Islamic rule. Although previous review studies have assessed the impact of Ramadan on cardiovascular risk factors, athlete performance, diabetes and transplantation, in this study we have appraised some on these reviews by focusing on limitations and also, we have reviewed more recently published study and several recent studies, which are not reviewed ti...