No abstract

No abstract

IntroductionT he devout Muslim will wish to follow the instruction of Allah, revealed to Muhammed, to fast from dawn to sunset for the whole month of Ramadan. This practice may place Muslim patients with diabetes at risk. Diabetes affects over 20% of the Muslim population in Britain, five times its prevalence in the white Caucasian population. 1 With advice, support and careful attention to glycaemic control most patients can fast safely. However, in the absence of such precautions patients may be at hazard of hypoglycaemia or ketoacidosis. For some patients fasting is dangerous and they should be advised to seek exemption. This short article offers a guide to the care of the Muslim patient with diabetes during Ramadan.