Fasting and Diabetes

Fasting is one of the most important duties recommended in Islam. It is ordered to be performed on adults and healthy people and forbidden on people who cause or aggravate disease. Replacement of this duty can be performed in another appropriate time, after the holy month of Ramadan. Diabetes is a prevalent disease and some of the diabetic patients do not have conditions to perform this duty. In this article, some of the most important aspects of fasting in diabetes are reviewed.

This study is a summary of several meetings on fasting and diabetes was held in the Academy of Medical Sciences of Iran, which has been prepared and presented in focus group discussion and literature review in national references.

Many diabetic patients can do this duty during Ramadan or in other months if they follow the principles of nutrition and dietary guidelines and prescribe medication. It is recommended that patients with the following conditions do not being fast: "patients with uncontrolled diabetes", "Diabetes mellitus type 1 Brittle", "Pregnant diabetic women ", "Patients with a history of ketoacidosis or hyperosmolar coma","Diabetes with major risk factors or diseases such as coronary artery disease, liver cirrhosis, chronic renal failure, the elderly with mental disorders" "history of high or low blood sugar before or during Ramadan," and  "diabetic patients who do not follow dietary and medication orders or it is not possible for them to obey these orders carefully and correctly."

Fasting is one of the main duties recommended in Islam and can be useful in prevention and treatment of some of the diseases. Necessary conditions for fasting are health and not traveling. As a result, if fasting is harmful for a patient, it is not only obligatory, but also incorrect. Fasting is not acceptable in patients who are not allowed to fast, because as self-harm is forbidden, eating too much or too little food is considered self-harm and is forbidden.