Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: During Ramadan, patients often have an inappropriate eating behaviors which can have an impact on the metabolic profile, particularly in obese subjects.

Aim: The Aim of the study is to evaluate the effects of Ramadan fasting on the metabolic profile of obese patients.

Patients and methods: This is was a prospective study including 109 obese patients with BMI ≥30 kg/m² aged 19 to 80 years of both sexes followed in the Endocrinology and metabolic diseases department of the IBN Rochd hospital center in Casablanca or seen at the consultation from March to May 2022. The patients were divided into 2 groups (fasting, non-fasting). A clinical and biological evaluation was carried out before and after Ramadan.

Results: The study population consisted of 109 patients, 80.7% were female and 19.2% were male. The average age was 55.92± 8.6 years. 87.15% of the patients were diabetic. Comparing the groups studied before and after Ramadan fasting, there was an increase in HbA1C in the non-fasting group (10.4±2.13% against 9.4±1.09%) (P=0.01) compared to the fasting group where HbA1C remained stable (7.4 ±0.89% vs 7.4 ±1.82%). A slight decrease in fasting glycemia was objectified in fasting people (P=0.001). Regarding anthropometric parameters, there was a slight weight loss (0.5-1 kg) with a decrease in BMI in the fasting group (33.1 kg/m² against 33.8 kg/m²) (P =0.01). In the fasting group, a slight increase in LDL levels was observed after Ramadan, but there was no significant change in total cholesterol, triglycerides and HDL levels.

Conclusion: This study indicated that Ramadan fasting caused a slight decrease in blood glucose and weight. Although there was a significant reduction in meal frequency, a slight increase in LDL was observed during Ramadan. It appears that the effect of Ramadan fasting on serum lipid levels may be closely related to diet.