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British Journal of Diabetes & Vascular Disease-2010-Hassanein-246-50
British Journal of Diabetes & Vascular Disease-2010-Hassanein-246-50
Abstract
R
amadan is a holy month for all Muslims, when they
fast from dawn to sunset. Although the Qur’an
exempts the sick from fasting, many Muslims with
diabetes passionately fast despite their medical condi-
tion. The main risks encountered during fasting include
worsening of glycaemic control or hypoglycaemia. A bet-
ter understanding about fasting Ramadan and its risks is
an important step for all healthcare professionals man-
aging Muslim people with diabetes. This entails improv-
ing patient education as well as tailoring the treatment Mohamed M Hassanein
to meet the needs of this group of people with diabetes
to minimise the possible risks.
Br J Diabetes Vasc Dis 2010;10:246-250.
But whoever of you is ill, or on a journey, [shall fast instead for the
same] number of other days; and [in such cases] it is incumbent
people enjoy the spiritual atmosphere during that month and
upon those who can afford it to make sacrifice by feeding a needy consequently, many of those who cannot fast feel they miss a
person (Sura 2: Verse: 184). great deal. A study of over 12,243 persons with diabetes
across different Muslim countries indicated that > 40% of
patients with type 1 and > 78% of patients with type 2 diabe-
Consequently, many people are exempt from fasting includ-
tes fast > 15 days during Ramadan.1 Hence, it is important
ing those who are ill, travelling, pregnant women, during breast-
for HCPs to be aware of the risks that may be associated with
feeding or women during their menses. Fasting lasts from dawn
fasting during Ramadan. The metabolic impacts of fasting for
to sunset, during which period any fasting Muslim should not
people with diabetes are multiple. They range from the risk of
eat or drink. This includes taking any oral medication. Many
increased frequency of hypoglycaemia, postprandial hypergly-
caemia with or without diabetic ketoacidosis, dehydration and
thrombosis.
Correspondence to: Dr Mohamed M Hassanein
Renal and Diabetes Centre, Glan Clwyd Hospital, Rhyl LL18 5U,
Dietary habits during Ramadan
Wales, UK.
Tel: +44 (0)1745 445709; Fax: +44 (0)1745 534354
During Ramadan many people have a meal after sunset,
E-mail: Mohamed.Hassanein@wales.nhs.uk referred to as Iftar (breaking of the fast), and a smaller meal
before dawn referred to as Suhur (pre-dawn). In the next few
years, due to the long fasting hours, there is a strong possibility to thrombotic cardiac or cerebral conditions during Ramadan in
that the Iftar meal might become too large. The general atmo- the same group.3,11
sphere of the month is usually of celebration and hence fasting
during the day is often followed with a feast of plenty of food The harmony between medical and religious advice
items in the evening. The consumption of many sweets is much The Qur’an exempts the ill person from fasting. However, dia-
higher during Ramadan. Indeed, the dietary habit of many betes is a condition which varies in severity significantly from
Muslims is to break their fast with some dates or a sugary one person to another. Hence, it is impossible to generalise
drink. who should fast and who should not. Consequently, this has
been a controversial area lacking harmony between medical
Risks associated with fasting Ramadan and diabetes and religious advice. However, a breakthrough recently occurred
The exact medical impact of fasting among people with dia- following the decree of the Organisation of the Islamic
betes is not well studied. However, both the religious and Conference at its 19th session held in the UAE in April 2009.12
medical advice are clear that some people with diabetes are The conference included eminent Muslim clerics and diabetes
exempt from and should avoid fasting due to the risks to their experts who reviewed the medical evidence and the risk cate-
metabolic condition. To minimise the risks of fasting Ramadan, gories stated in the ADA 2005 consensus document.2 They
the ADA published a consensus statement2 on the manage- based their decisions, summarised in table 1,13 on the risk of
ment of diabetes during the month of Ramadan in 2005. harm to the body. Risk of harm is prohibited in Islam as the
An up-to-date British recommendation would be a welcome Qur’an says:
move by Diabetes UK.
The major metabolic risks associated with fasting in people And let not your own hands throw you into destruction (Sura 2:
with diabetes are hypoglycaemia, hyperglycaemia and diabetic verse 195)
ketoacidosis and dehydration and thrombosis. and
and do not destroy one another: for, behold, God is indeed a dispenser
Hypoglycaemia of grace unto you (Sura 4: Verse 29).
There is an increasing awareness of the risk for hypoglycaemia
in people with diabetes. This risk is potentially higher during It is importsant to note that despite the harmony between
fasting Ramadan. A study conducted in London in 2007 on religious and medical advice, many Muslim patients would
111 persons with type 2 diabetes treated with oral hypoglycae- choose to fast during Ramadan.
mic agents showed that the incidence of any hypoglycaemic
episode increased four-fold during Ramadan, compared with Minimising the risks of fasting Ramadan and diabetes
before fasting.3 The risk of severe hypoglycemia (defined as Many Muslims with diabetes are very passionate about fasting
hospitalisation due to hypoglycaemia) in the EPIDIAR study1 Ramadan and many HCPs find that they are unable to give
increased during Ramadan fasting, in 2001, about five-fold in appropriate medical advice. This is often due to lack of knowl-
patients with type 1 (from 3 to 14 events per 100 persons per edge about Ramadan fasting. Indeed, to avoid confrontations
month) and ~7.5-fold in patients with type 2 diabetes (from with the patient’s religious beliefs, some HCPs might agree to
0.4 to 3 events per 100 persons per month). reduce glycaemic control medication despite control being sub-
optimal. While it is crucial to respect a patient’s personal deci-
Hyperglycaemia and diabetic ketoacidosis sion, it is essential that the medical advice provided by HCPs is
Glycaemic control in patients with diabetes who fast during sound. Hence, an awareness campaign for HCPs as well as
Ramadan has been reported to deteriorate, improve or show community leaders is essential.
no change.4-9 In a study from London, there was no significant A pre-Ramadan diabetes assessment is recommended
change in HbA1C before and after Ramadan.3 Severe hyper so that patients can be made aware of individual risks and
glycaemia requiring hospitalisation increased five-fold during recommended strategies to minimise these risks – or even
Ramadan in patients with type 2 diabetes and in type 1 dia- advised to refrain from full observance due to their current
betes was approximately three-fold higher with or without health status.
ketoacidosis.1
Ramadan-related diabetes education for HCPs and
Dehydration and thrombosis community leaders
Dehydration is a theoretical risk among individuals who per- Over the last few years, some regions across the UK have indi-
form hard physical labour while fasting for long hours. The vidually started campaigns to raise the awareness of Ramadan
decrease in endogenous anticoagulants, impaired fibrinolysis and diabetes. I have been privileged to help in many of these
and the increase in clotting factors noted in some patients with initiatives. The efforts in these centres have varied and many
diabetes could be a risk for thrombosis.10 Retinal vein occlusion campaigns included local Imams and community leaders. The
in people who fasted during Ramadan was increased in one aim in all centres was to provide a better understanding of
study.11 However, there was no increase in hospitalisations due Ramadan and fasting for people with diabetes: including the
Category 1: very high-risk group Ramadan-focused diabetes education for people with
• Severe hypoglycaemia within the last 3 months prior to diabetes
Ramadan The role of structured education is well established in the man-
• Patients with a history of recurrent hypoglycaemia agement of diabetes. This should be extended to Ramadan-
• Patients with lack of hypoglycaemia awareness focused diabetes education as well as standard diabetes
• Patients with sustained poor glycaemic control education. As discussed previously, in Brent in London, follow-
• Ketoacidosis within the last 3 months prior to Ramadan ing raising awareness for HCPs, Ramadan-focused structured
• Type 1 diabetes education was offered to a group of 111 persons with type 2
• Acute illness diabetes.3 Those who undertook the Ramadan-focused diabe-
tes education programme (57 persons) had at baseline nine
• Hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic coma within the previous
hypoglycaemic events. However, at the end of Ramadan, their
3 months
hypoglycaemic events were only five, i.e. they managed to fast
• Patients who perform intense physical labour
during Ramadan and reduce the frequency of hypoglycaemia
• Pregnancy compared with before Ramadan. The control group (54 per-
• Patients on chronic dialysis sons) who did not participate in the programme had a four-
fold increase in hypoglycaemic events – rising from nine events
Category 2: high-risk group
at baseline to 36 events at the end of Ramadan. It is important
• Patients with moderate hyperglycaemia blood glucose
to note that this occurred while glycaemic control was main-
levels of 10.0–16.5 mmol/L (180–300 mg/dL) or high HbA1C
tained at the same level for 12 months. Furthermore, the
(> 10%) group who received structured education lost a small amount
• Patients with renal insufficiency of weight compared with an overall weight gain in the control
• Patients with advanced macrovascular complications group.13
• People living alone who are treated with insulin or An education programme should include standard diabetes
sulphonylureas education as well as Ramadan-related issues such as the pos-
• Patients living alone with comorbid conditions that present sible risks of fasting for people with diabetes, the importance
additional risk factors of capillary blood glucose monitoring, when to stop the fast,
• Old age with ill health as well as meal planning and physical activity that takes into
• Drugs that may affect cognitive state account the prolonged fasting hours. The education session
should include advice on possible meal choices to avoid post-
The ruling for patients in categories 1 and 2 is that prandial hyperglycaemia as well as avoiding hypoglycaemia.
they are prohibited from fasting to prevent harming The session may take place in diabetes centres as well as in
themselves based on the certainty or the predominance local mosques or community centre. The ability to deliver this
of probability that harm will occur to the patients in session in patients’ own languages is a distinct advantage.
these two categories.
Pre-Ramadan medical assessment
Category 3: moderate risk For those wishing to fast during Ramadan, ideally a medical
• Well-controlled patients treated with short-acting insulin assessment should take place 2 months before. If this occurs
secretagogues such as repaglinide or nateglinide with a well informed individual and a well informed HCP, then
the outcome is likely to be safer. Many Muslim people with
Category 4: low risk diabetes are passionate to fast despite their medical condition.
• Well-controlled patients treated with diet alone, metformin, Such passion could be directed to improve diabetes-related
or a thiazolidinedione, who are otherwise healthy targets and reduce the possible complications, not only for
Ramadan but throughout the year. Indeed, such a policy could
The ruling for patients in categories 3 and 4 is that they
improve the engagement of people with diabetes from ethnic
should fast. backgrounds and consequently improve their self-management
Obviously, the risk category for many people could be higher
of diabetes.
or lower depending on many changes such as an acute illness,
Individual risk quantification of fasting Ramadan
pregnancy, a change in type of treatment, etc.
A discussion should take place between an experienced and
Key: HbA1C = glycated haemoglobin A1C well informed HCP and the person with diabetes regarding
their own risk and treatment needs.