Impact of Ramadan Focused Education Program on medications adjustment for patients with type 2 diabetes in a primary health care institution in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Aims: To examine the impact of Ramadan Focused Education Program (RFEP) on medications adjustment in type 2 diabetes patients in Ramadan.

Methods: This is a controlled, intervention based study. It was run on three phases: before, during, and after Ramadan on 262 type 2 diabetes patients. The intervention group (n = 140) received RFEP on medications doses & timing adjustment before and after Ramadan, while the control group (n = 122) received standard care.

Results: The dose of insulin glargine was reduced from 42.51 ± 22.16 at the baseline to 40.11 ± 18.51-units during Ramadan (p = 0.002) in the intervention group while it remained the same in the control group before Ramadan and during Ramadan (38.51 ± 18.63 and 38.14 ± 18.46, P = 0.428, respectively). The hypoglycemia score was 14.2 ± (8.5) pre-Ramadan in the intervention and reduced to 6.36 ± 6.17 during Ramadan (p < 0.001) while in the control group, no significant changes were noted before and during Ramadan (14.01 ± 5.10 versus 13.46 ± 5.30).

Conclusions: Ramadan Focused Education Program done at a primary healthcare setting had a positive impact on medication adjustment for dose and timing during fasting in Ramadan in diabetic patients, and it can be a useful tool to achieve better outcomes; less hypoglycemia and safe fasting among T2D patients during Ramadan.

Keywords: Anti-diabetic medication; DM type 2; Education program; Ramadan.