Effect of Ramadan fasting on Muslim patients with chronic liver diseases.

The study evaluated the efficacy of fasting in Ramadan on the clinical, laboratory and ultrasonographic parameters of chronic liver disease patients. A total of 202 patients were selected from the departments of Tropical medicine and outpatient clinics of Al-Azhar University hospitals, Cairo, Egypt from the 26th of July till the 30th of September 2010. Patients submitted to complete clinical, laboratory, ultrasonographic and endoscopic evaluation pre, during, and post Ramadan. The fasting group was 103 (51%) and the non-fasting group was 99 (49%) patients. The non-fasting group showed significantly a good adherence to therapy (43.4%) compared to (27.2%) the fasting group (p=0.016). Dyspeptic symptoms was higher in the fasting (53.4%) compared to (38.4%) the non-fasting group (p=0.032). G.I. bleeding during Ramadan was higher in the fasting group (17.5%) compared to non-fasting (14.1%), but the bleeding due to o.v. was significantly higher in the non-fasting group (9.1%) compared to (1%) in the fasting group (p=0.004). Chronic hepatitis in the fasting group showed non significant changes pre, during and post-Ramadan regarding liver function. Fasting cirrhotic group patients child class C was developed to (13%) during and (32.6%) after Ramadan compared to (0%) before (p=0.001).