long term association of ramadan fasting and renal function in patients with chronic kidney disease

Background: throughout ramadan fasting (rf), muslims strictly avoid eating, drinking, and sexual intercourse together with other actions. this study aimed to determine the long-term association of rf with renal function and blood urea nitrogen (bun) in patients with chronic kidney disease (ckd).methods: in a cross-sectional study, 8725 individuals from mashad cohort study were enrolled during a period of 10 years and followed through 3-year intervals to moderate the risk of losing contact. to asses renal function, glomerular filtration rate (gfr), bun and creatinine were measured. rf was evaluated by a 16-item questionnaire. ckd was defined by national kidney foundation guideline as gfr<60 ml/ min/1.73 m². patients were categorized in three groups based on gfr of egfr≥60, 60-89, and <15 ml/min per 1.73 m².results: the mean age was 57.4 years and 48.1% were female. there was no significant relationship between rf and gfr, but a significant relationship was observed between fasting in other months and gfr. loss of consciousness and severe hypoglycemia were higher among those with a gfr<45. fasting during life, rf and in months other than ramadan was accompanied by an increase in creatinine. age was also associated with a significant rise in creatinine and bun levels.conclusion: this study suggests that patients with stable mild/moderate ckd may be allowed to fast if they are carefully monitored for their health status.