Cardiac emergencies among fasting people with diabetes during Ramadan — A prospective study from Pakistan
Keywords:
Ramadan fasting, Diabetes mellitus, Acute MI, Arrhythmia, Heart failure, Ramadan fasting, diabetes mellitus, acute MI, arrhythmia, heart failure, unstable angina.Abstract
Aims and objectives: To observe and compare the frequency of acute cardiac emergencies among fasting people with diabetes presenting before, during, and after Ramadan.
Methodology: This prospective observational study was conducted at the Tabba Heart Institute, Karachi, Pakistan, between May and August 2017. Data were collected using a predesigned, closed-ended questionnaire for people presented who acute cardiac events in the emergency department before, during, and after the month of Ramadan. During Ramadan, the fasting status of patients was also recorded.
Results: A total of 1036 people with cardiac emergencies presented in the emergency department during the study period. Of these, 525 (50.67%) had diabetes mellitus with a mean age of 60.42±10.06 years. Heart failure was present in 37 (20.7%) people with diabetes and 25 (12%) people without diabetes before Ramadan. A total of 46 (28.6%) people with diabetes and 23 (15.6%) people without diabetes had heart failure during Ramadan. A non-significant higher frequency of acute myocardial infarction was noted among fasting people with diabetes.
Conclusion: In this study, the frequency of cardiac emergencies in people with diabetes during Ramadan was comparable before and after Ramadan. Heart failure was significantly more common among people with diabetes before and during Ramadan. Presentations with acute myocardial infarction and arrhythmias were more common outside Ramadan. No significant differences regarding acute events were found between fasting people with and without diabetes.
