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Review
. 2017 Jul-Sep;7(3):81-87.
doi: 10.4103/ajm.AJM_76_17.

Muslim patients in Ramadan: A review for primary care physicians

Heba Abolaban  1 , Ahmad Al-Moujahed  2
Affiliations
Review

Muslim patients in Ramadan: A review for primary care physicians

Heba Abolaban et al. Avicenna J Med. 2017 Jul-Sep.

Abstract

Fasting Ramadan, in which Muslims abstain from specific habits and behaviors from dawn to sunset, is one of the five Pillars of Islam. While there are several exemptions from fasting, many Muslim patients with acute or chronic medical conditions still choose to fast, which may adversely affect their health if not addressed properly. Some patients may not be well educated about the effects of some medical treatments and procedures on the validity of their fast, which can unnecessarily lead to suboptimal management of their conditions or treatment nonadherence. Since spirituality, religiosity, and personal beliefs affect patients' health behaviors and adherence to treatments, health-care providers need to learn how fasting Ramadan can affect the health of their Muslim patients, especially those with chronic medical conditions, and how to help them achieve safe fasting. This article aims to provide an overview of the main topics that primary care physicians may need to know in order to improve their cultural competence when caring for their fasting Muslim patients.

Keywords: Fasting; Muslim patients; Ramadan; primary care.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Noninsulin dose modifications for patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. *Sulphonylurea combination therapy OD – take at iftar and consider reducing the dose by 50%; **Sulphonylurea combination therapy BID – omit morning dose and take normal dose at iftar. BID: Twice daily; DPP.4: Dipeptidyl peptidase-4; GLP-1 RAs: Glucagon-like protein-1 receptor agonists; OD: Once daily; SGLT2: Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2; SU: Sulphonylurea; TID: Three times a day; TZD: Thiazolidinedione; T2DM: Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Obtained from Hassanein et al.[2] with permission
Figure 2
Figure 2
Insulin dose modifications for patients with diabetes. *Alternatively, reduced neutral protamine Hagedorn dose can be taken at suhoor or at night; **adjust the insulin dose taken before suhoor; ***adjust the insulin dose taken before iftar. BG: Blood glucose; BID: Twice daily; NPH: Neutral protamine Hagedorn; OD: Once daily; TID: Three times a day. Obtained from Hassanein et al.[2] with permission
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. Hassanein M, Al-Arouj M, Hamdy O, Bebakar WM, Jabbar A, Al-Madani A, et al. Diabetes and Ramadan: Practical guidelines. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2017;126:303–16. [This article is an excellent and comprehensive reference about caring for patients with diabetes in Ramadan] - PubMed
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