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The effect of Ramadan fasting on ambulatory blood pressure in hypertensive patients using combination drug therapy

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 22, pages 208–210 (2008)Cite this article

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of Ramadan fasting on ambulatory blood pressure in treated subjects with grade 2–3 hypertension using combination drug therapy. Twenty-four hours ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was performed during and 1 month after Ramadan. No statistically significant difference was found between 24 h mean blood pressures in the two monitoring periods, except for a small rise before dawn while having a morning meal.

Every year, over one billion Moslems fast during the month of Ramadan because of the fundamental requirement of the Islam. This ritual causes marked changes in sleep and feeding patterns. People wake up before dawn to have a meal to prepare themselves for fasting and then go back to bed for a nap. They abstain from drinking and smoking from dawn till dusk and have a large meal after sunset. These life style changes affect drug intake time and dosing, and may cause deleterious effects in patients with hypertension.1 Alterations in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the drugs may be additional problems.2

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiology, Kocaeli University, Umuttepe Yerleskesi, Kocaeli, Turkey

    E Ural, G Kozdag, T Kilic, D Ural, T Şahin, O Çelebi & B Komsuoglu

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  1. E Ural
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  2. G Kozdag
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  3. T Kilic
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  4. D Ural
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  7. B Komsuoglu
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Correspondence to E Ural.

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Ural, E., Kozdag, G., Kilic, T. et al. The effect of Ramadan fasting on ambulatory blood pressure in hypertensive patients using combination drug therapy. J Hum Hypertens 22, 208–210 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1002296

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