Ramadan Fasting Improves Kidney Functions and Ameliorates Oxidative Stress in Diabetic Patients

Abstract

Abstract: The current investigation was carried out to evaluate and characterize the effects of Ramadan fasting and the possible influence of anti-oxidants supplementation with vitamin E on parameters of renal function and oxidative stress in patients with diabetes mellitus. Two study groups of 20 subjects each (n = 20) having an average age of 50 ± 5 years were investigated. One group included normal control subjects recruited from the general population. The second group had patients with diabetes mellitus. Each of the two groups was subdivided into 2 subgroups (n = 10) during the month of Ramadan. One subgroup fasted during the month of Ramadan and the other subgroup fasted and ingested 800 IU of vitamin E per day during Ramadan. Parameters of kidney function namely: blood urea, serum creatinine, creatinine clearance, serum electrolytes and urinary albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR) and parameters of oxidative stress namely: serum malondialdehyde (MDA) and blood reduce glutathione (GSH) were all measured during the 4 week of the month of Shabaan (i.e. before fasting), during the 4 week of Ramadan and 6 weeks post-Ramadan fasting. We reported that Ramadan fasting resulted in significant P<0.05 reductions in: blood urea from its pre-fasting baseline values by 16.6and25.6 and 5.6and0.4 serum creatinine by 1.7and16.4 and 12.5and17.8 ACR by 3.9and26.2 and 5.6and6.3 and serum MDA by 52.2and57.6 and 39.6and44.0 during the 4 week of fasting alone and fasting with vitamin E supplementation in the control and diabetic groups respectively. Conversely, creatinine clearance was significantly P<0.05 elevated from its baseline values by 0.1and16.1 and 8.5and12.8 and GSH by 139.4and141.1 and 241.4and251.4 during the 4 week of fasting alone and fasting with vitamin E supplementation in the control and diabetic groups respectively. There were insignificant changes in serum electrolytes P>0.05 during the 4th week of fasting with or without vitamin E supplementation in the two groups. The values of blood urea, serum creatinine, creatinine clearance and ACR returned to levels statistically indifferent from their corresponding prefasting baseline values, whereas serum MDA were maintained significantly P<0.05 lower by 19.7 and 20.9 and GSH significantly P<0.05 higher than the pre-fasting baseline values by 54.7 and 70.3, 6-weeks post-Ramadan fasting in the control and diabetic groups respectively. In conclusion, results of the present study confirmedthat Ramadan fasting doses not have adverse effects; rather it has favorable effects on renal function in the diabetic patients. Furthermore, Ramadan fasting significantly lowers oxidative stress in the body.