Background: Ramadan fasting is associated with the risk of acute complications including hypoglycaemia. Therefore, patients' education before Ramadan and follow up during Ramadan is essential for safe fasting.
Objectives: To evaluate the effect of pre-Ramadan education program on biochemical parameters and the risk of hypoglycaemia in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Methods: A prospective interventional controlled design was carried out on 320 Muslim patients with type 2 diabetes. They were divided into 2 groups; the control group (n = 200) who received standard diabetic care and the intervention group (n = 120) who received focused individualized diabetic education sessions before Ramadan. The study was carried out on 3 phases (before, during and after Ramadan). Post-education change of hypoglycaemia risk and biochemical parameters during Ramadan fasting were the primary outcomes.
Results: Fasting blood glucose decreased significantly during, and after Ramadan in both groups (P < 0.001). Hypoglycaemia during fasting occurred in 4.1% of patients in the intervention group vs. 19.5% in the control group. Post Ramadan reduction of HbA1c < 7% increased statistically significantly in the intervention group (from 20.8% of patients before Ramadan to 55.8% after Ramadan). Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased in the intervention group (P = 0.024). The body weight of the patients did not significantly change in both groups.
Conclusion: There was a significant impact of pre-Ramadan educational program on reduction of hypoglycaemic risk and other acute complications, reduction of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and improvement of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Therefore, it is recommended for the fasting patients especially those with high and very high risk during Ramadan.
Keywords: Diabetes; Education; Egypt; Hypoglycaemia; Ramadan fasting.
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