The Impact of Ramadan Fasting on Chronic Disease Management
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Mentor Information
Raja Benchekroun
Description
Every year, 2.06 billion Muslims perform Ramadan fasting, a religious practice involving abstinence from food and drink from dawn to sunset for 30 days. This religious practice changes diet, hydration, sleep, and medication timing, raising clinical concerns for the safety of individuals with chronic diseases who choose to fast. Research reports mixed effects on disease control and treatment safety, emphasizing the need for an overarching analysis of its impact on chronic disease management. This literature review is aimed to examine research on Ramadan and intermittent fasting on chronic disease management and to analyze its effects on disease control, clinical outcomes, and treatment safety in individuals with chronic illnesses who fast during Ramadan. Our literature search used PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Web of Knowledge to identify studies. Studies from the last 50 years were included if they reported clinical or treatment-related outcomes; non-English studies or studies with insufficient data were excluded. The reviewed literature demonstrated that Ramadan fasting is generally safe for individuals with stable conditions when medication adherence and clinical monitoring are in check. Some studies reported neutral or modestly beneficial effects, while others reported condition-specific risks in severe diabetes, autoimmune disease activity, or hematologic vulnerability. Common factors that influenced outcomes were disease stability, medication timing and dosage, adherence, nutritional intake, hydration status, and individualized risk profiles. Findings suggest Ramadan fasting can be safely integrated into chronic disease management for many with individualized assessment and oversight. However, more longitudinal studies are needed to clarify long-term outcomes and develop clinical guidelines.
The Impact of Ramadan Fasting on Chronic Disease Management
Every year, 2.06 billion Muslims perform Ramadan fasting, a religious practice involving abstinence from food and drink from dawn to sunset for 30 days. This religious practice changes diet, hydration, sleep, and medication timing, raising clinical concerns for the safety of individuals with chronic diseases who choose to fast. Research reports mixed effects on disease control and treatment safety, emphasizing the need for an overarching analysis of its impact on chronic disease management. This literature review is aimed to examine research on Ramadan and intermittent fasting on chronic disease management and to analyze its effects on disease control, clinical outcomes, and treatment safety in individuals with chronic illnesses who fast during Ramadan. Our literature search used PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Web of Knowledge to identify studies. Studies from the last 50 years were included if they reported clinical or treatment-related outcomes; non-English studies or studies with insufficient data were excluded. The reviewed literature demonstrated that Ramadan fasting is generally safe for individuals with stable conditions when medication adherence and clinical monitoring are in check. Some studies reported neutral or modestly beneficial effects, while others reported condition-specific risks in severe diabetes, autoimmune disease activity, or hematologic vulnerability. Common factors that influenced outcomes were disease stability, medication timing and dosage, adherence, nutritional intake, hydration status, and individualized risk profiles. Findings suggest Ramadan fasting can be safely integrated into chronic disease management for many with individualized assessment and oversight. However, more longitudinal studies are needed to clarify long-term outcomes and develop clinical guidelines.
