Ramadan and Type 2 Diabetes in Bangladesh

Ramadan is the Holy month of the Muslims when they are required to fast from dawn to sunset. The present study was aimed at exploring the effects of fasting in the Ramadan on body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), total cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), creatinine, and acute complications in patients with type 2 diabetes in Bangladesh. This prospective study was carried out among 92 types 2 diabetes patients (age 47±9 years, mean±SD), selected randomly from a tertiary-care hospital of the Diabetic Association of Bangladesh (BADAS). Significant changes were observed in the pulse rate (p=.001) and BMI (p=.001) in type 2 diabetes during Ramadan. Fasting blood glucose (p=.001), fructosamine (p=.001), TC (p=.003), HDL-C (p=.004), TG (p=.04), and creatinine (p=.01) were significantly higher in all the patients during fasting. Fasting during Ramadan is associated with a deterioration of metabolic control in diabetic patients. However, fasting did not cause any irreversible damage to renal function; so, fasting is safe for type 2 diabetes in Bangladesh during Ramadan.