Table 2.
Risk categories, recommendations for fasting, and study participants’ performance of Ramadan fasting (N = 1328).
| Variables | Subgroups | All subjects (N = 1328) | Recommendation |
P value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Should be able to fast (n = 587) | Not to fast (n = 607) | Should not fast (n = 134) | ||||
| Patient’s intention on fasting | To fast | 1268 (95.5 %) | 585 (99.7 %) | 584 (96.2 %) | 99 (73.9 %) | <0.001 |
| Not to fast | 60 (4.5 %) | 2 (0.3 %) | 23 (3.8 %) | 35 (26.1 %) | ||
| Number of days fasted in Ramadan | All days of Ramadan | 943 (71.0 %) | 435 (74.1 %) | 442 (72.8 %) | 66 (49.3 %) | <0.001 |
| >15 days, not all days | 183 (13.8 %) | 78 (13.3 %) | 89 (14.7 %) | 16 (11.9 %) | ||
| 1–15 days | 50 (3.8 %) | 27 (4.6 %) | 14 (2.3 %) | 9 (6.7 %) | ||
| Not a single day | 152 (11.4 %) | 47 (8.0 %) | 62 (10.2 %) | 43 (32.1 %) | ||
| Received drug treatment during Ramadan as prescribed | Yes | 1233 (92.8 %) | 537 (91.5 %) | 580 (95.6 %) | 116 (86.6 %) | <0.001 |
| No | 95 (7.2 %) | 50 (8.5 %) | 27 (4.4 %) | 18 (13.4 %) | ||
| Followed dietary and lifestyle advice during Ramadan as prescribed | Yes | 1144 (86.1 %) | 491 (83.6 %) | 554 (91.3 %) | 99 (73.9 %) | <0.001 |
| No | 184 (13.9 %) | 96 (16.4 %) | 53 (8.7 %) | 35 (26.1 %) | ||
| SMBG during Ramadan as instructed | Yes | 804 (60.5 %) | 307 (52.3 %) | 432 (71.2 %) | 65 (48.5 %) | <0.001 |
| No | 524 (39.5 %) | 280 (47.7 %) | 175 (28.8 %) | 69 (51.5 %) | ||
| Visited physician for dose adjustment of diabetic medications | Yes | 615 (46.3 %) | 220 (37.5 %) | 361 (59.5 %) | 34 (25.4 %) | <0.001 |
| No | 713 (53.7 %) | 367 (62.5 %) | 246 (40.5 %) | 100 (74.6 %) | ||
| Hypoglycemia (<3.9 mmol/L) during Ramadan | Yes | 47 (3.5 %) | 13 (2.2 %) | 24 (4.0 %) | 10 (7.5 %) | 0.009 |
| No | 1281 (96.5 %) | 574 (97.8 %) | 583 (96.0 %) | 124 (92.5 %) | ||
| Hyperglycemia (>16.6 mmol/L) during Ramadan | Yes | 27 (2.0 %) | 7 (1.2 %) | 14 (2.3 %) | 6 (4.5 %) | 0.042 |
| No | 1301 (98.0 %) | 580 (98.8 %) | 593 (97.7 %) | 128 (95.5 %) | ||
| Post-Ramadan (2 weeks later) glycemic (FPG and PG 2 h-ABF) status | Within target | 285 (21.5 %) | 175 (29.8 %) | 92 (15.2 %) | 18 (13.4) | <0.001 |
| Not within target | 883 (66.5 %) | 328 (55.9 %) | 460 (75.8 %) | 95 (70.9 %) | ||
| No data available | 160 (12.0 %) | 84 (14.3 %) | 55 (9.1 %) | 21 (15.7 %) | ||
SMBG = Self-monitoring of blood glucose, FPG = Fasting plasma glucose, PG 2 h-ABF = Plasma glucose 2 h after breakfast.