Ramzan: Diabetics, heart patients should consult doctor before

For the upcoming month of Ramzan, doctors have urged people suffering from diabetes and heart ailments to fast only after consulting physicians as the fasting period would last for over 15 hours this time.
The fasting period would last for 15 hours and 25 minutes this Ramzan which necessitates special health precautions by the patients suffering from diabetes and heart ailments, Dr Sudeep Kumar, Senior Heart Specialist at Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI), told PTI.
The patients should consult doctors before fasting. They should also get their medicine dose increased and see a doctor immediately in case of any problem, he said.

Kumar said those who have suffered a minor heart attack can fast during Ramzan as research has showed that such people are at an equal risk while fasting as in normal days.
However, they should be careful with what to eat and increase their medication after consulting the doctor if required, he said.
Kumar said those who have suffered a major heart attack and who have undergone a bypass surgery, should not keep fasts as they would have to take medicine many times a day and also need the water level in their body to be maintained. Such patients should fast only after consulting their doctors.

"People suffering from Type 1 diabetes, who take insulin, should avoid fasting as without its intake their blood sugar level would increase and condition would deteriorate," he said.

Kumar said people suffering from Type 2 diabetes should observe utmost care if they wish to observe the fast and advised them to change their eating habits and advised that they should eat in sufficient quantity in the morning and keep their medicines with them.
Kumar further said such patients should not eat fried food and should eat non-vegetarian food in moderation.
At iftaar (breaking of the fast), such patients should eat in small portions and should keep having fruit juice and light eatables, after which they should immediately take their medicine, he said.

Diabetics should eat something only after an hour of breaking the fast, he said, adding they should eat light food, like vegetable, bread and salad.
"People observe day-long fast in Ramzan and eat delicacies in the evening, which leads to rise in blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels," Kumar said.
He said such people should abstain from eating oily and heavy foods as they increase blood sugar and cholesterol levels and added that in the evening, on breaking the fast, people should consume the delicacies slowly.