Effect of Ramadan Fasting on Blood Pressure and Lipid Profiles

Introduction: ramadan is a holy islamic month during which muslims abstain from eating, drinking, and sexual intercourse for 13-17 hours a day. the aim of this study was to assess the effects of islamic fasting during ramadan on lipid profile and blood pressure.methods: this study was carried out in two phases, i.e., a week before and a week after ramadan. overall, 89 healthy subjects, aged 20-50 years, were enrolled in this study. blood samples were drawn for the evaluation of lipid profile in the morning, and subjects' blood pressure was measured in the afternoon, using a digital sphygmomanometer. statistical analysis was performed, using spss version 16.0.results: a week after ramadan, body weight and body mass index decreased in both genders, compared to a week before ramadan (p<0.001). diastolic blood pressure in male subjects and systolic blood pressure in both genders remained unchanged (p=0.634 and p=0.412, respectively), whereas in females, diastolic blood pressure significantly decreased (p=0.002). during ramadan, no significant changes were observed in subjects' lipid profile, triglyceride level, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (ldl-c), or ldl/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (hdl-c) ratio; however, a substantial decline was reported in total cholesterol and hdl-c levels.conclusion: the decline in total cholesterol may reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, induced by decreased hdl-c concentration. however, further research is required to reach a more definitive conclusion.