[Complications in null-diet]

Total starvation is effective for acute weight reduction in obesity. However, in 200 patients, most of whom also had internal diseases, 8% exhibited sometimes severe complications, i.e. reversible cerebral ischemia in 3 hypertensive patients when the blood pressure was lowered to the normal range by natriuresis of fasting; breakdown of water and electrolyte homeostasis with circulatory collapse, vomiting and vertigo; acute crises of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria and porphyria respectively and increase of transaminases up to 200 mu/ml, or cardiac arrhythmias. Relative (?) contraindications for total fasting appear to be clinical sings of arteriosclerosis such as vascular bruits, angina pectoris and intermittent claudication. In case of doubt, the method should only be used in hospital.