Background

Elderly patients have higher risks for complications during Ramadan fasting. Educating patients is essential for fasting safely.

Aim

To evaluate the impact of pre-Ramadan education in reducing risk of hypoglycemia and achieving glycemic control in elderly.

Methods

A prospective study carried out in outpatients clinics of Internal Medicine department in Assiut university hospital. It included 316 type 2 diabetic patients who intended to fast. They were grouped into 2 groups; < 65 years and ≥ 65 years patients. The patients received pre-Ramadan individual education sessions. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the data to stratify the risk of fasting. The study was carried out in 3 phases. Assessment of hypoglycemia and biochemical parameters after the education was the primary outcome.

Results

Fasting blood glucose decreased during and after Ramadan in elderly significantly (p = 0.0001 …