Coronary artery disease and diabetes - Management during Ramadan.

Ramadan is the Islamic holy month of fasting and practiced by all adult Muslims all over the world at the same time simultaneously. Although people who are ill or diabetics with coronary heart disease are exempted from fasting, they still desire to fast and this is a challenge to themselves and the treating physician. We performed a systematic review of the available Medline English literature on the subject from January 1982 to December 2014 so as to help guide physicians in managing these patients. The results revealed that although the metabolic parameters change during Ramadan fasting, but this does not lead to any significant increase in the incidence of acute coronary events. Most adults with stable coronary artery disease can fast without significant complications, but those with unstable disease or recent or pending revascularization procedures should generally refrain from fasting. Regular monitoring by the physician is mandatory along with adjustment of the dosages.