Ramadan fast in patients with coronary artery disease

Fasting during the month of Ramadan is of vital significance amongst Muslims; however, little is known about the effects of this kind of fasting on patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

This nonrandomized prospective observational pilot study was designed to investigate the effects of Ramadan fast on the symptoms of CAD.

Patients with documented CAD were consecutively (nonrandomized) included in the study, and those with heart failure (ejection fraction < 50%), renal failure, gout, and insulin-treated diabetes were excluded. Patients had the choice of fasting during Ramadan if they so wished and to break their fast as soon as symptoms such as dyspnea and chest pain occurred (fasting group) or not fasting (control group).

A total of 148 patients completed the study. Mean (mean ± SD) age of the patients was 61.5 ± 11.7 years and 50% were male. Finally, 66 patients (44.6%) accomplished Ramadan fast with an average of 22.27 ± 10.46 days of fasting. Occurrence of chest pain was not significantly different between the fasting and non-fasting groups (4 out of 66 [6.1%] vs. 8 out of 82 [9.8%] respectively; P = 0.42). In addition, patients who fasted during Ramadan did not experience a higher frequency of a combined endpoint of chest pain and dyspnea (4 out of 66 cases in the fasting group [6.1%] vs. 11 out of 82 in non-fasting group [13.4%]; P = 0.14).

In the present study, the patients with CAD were able to observe Ramadan fast safely and their combined endpoint of chest pain and dyspnea was not significantly different from that of the non-fasting ones. We would suggest that patients with CAD and normal left ventricular function could fast during Ramadan.