Endocrine Abstracts

Fasting of Holy month of Ramadan may be beneficial for patients with Type-2 diabetes but patient education and advice is of paramount importance to offset any effect from changing of dietary habits and treatment schedule. We conducted a questionnaire study few weeks before, during Ramadan and few weeks after Ramadan 1424 H/ 2004. A cross sectional random sample of patients with diabetes attending our services was analyzed. 50 patients mean age 65 yeas (20–83), (median, range) diabetes duration 15 years (1–35), 24 females & 26 males accepted to join the study. 22 patients were insulin treated, and 28 patients were taking different oral hypoglycemia agents including sulphonylurase, metformin or a glitazone, either single or in different combinations. 40% of participants never received any specific advice for fasting and 30% received education and advice in recent visits, while only 18% received some form of advice in the past. Specific dietary advice was only given to 18% of patients. However, only one patient who is taking oral hypolgyraemic agent (a SU, metformin and a glitazone), suffered an episode of severe hypoglycemia necessitating admission to hospital, and on the other hand only one patient who is inculin Rx, developed ketoacidosis. This survey points to major deficit in the way patients with diabetes are advised regarding fasting of Ramadan. Specific educational programmes, including patient’s counseling and educational leaflets should be widely available for diabetic patients who are keen to fast Ramadan.