Metabolic Effects of Fasting in Adolescents with Diabetes Type 1

Abstract

Type I diabetes mellitus is a common chronic disease in adolescents. According to statistics, 12,243 diabetic Muslims fast in thirteen Islamic countries, 43% of whom have type I diabetes. This longitudinal study was conducted on volunteer adolescents with type I diabetes aged 13-18 years for 15 days using the census method. Three days before Ramadan and during the last three days of the study period, changes in the insulin dose, HbA1C, lipid profile, and body mass index (BMI) were evaluated. Among 10 volunteer patients, eight individuals could complete Ramadan fasting. Blood glucose analysis indicated a significant difference between the reported blood glucose levels (P<0.001). The highest blood glucose level was reported by the patients at 12 PM (mean: 204.33 mg/dL), and the lowest blood glucose level was reported before Iftar (mean: 120.43 mg/dL). No significant difference was observed in the levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), cholesterol, HbA1C, and triglyceride (TG) before and after fasting, and the only significant difference was denoted in the BMI of the patients (P=0.002). According to the results, fasting could be a safe, feasible option for the adolescents with type I diabetes under specific circumstances, such as the provision of intensive training before Ramadan, raising their awareness, and supervision of patients by specialist. Our findings demonstrated that with the exception of BMI, fasting had no effects on other biochemical parameters.