ABSTRACT
One hundred and six [56 females and 50 males] diabetic adolescents and young adults with type I diabetes were studied. Their mean age was 19 years [range 13-23y] and mean duration of their diabetes was 7.3 years [range l/2-20y]. The mean insulin dose during Ramadan was 0.7 u/kg/day divided into two doses with 3/4 of the total dose was given at evening before breakfast and 1/4 of the total dose at dawn before the early morning meal. The two insulin doses were given as 50/50 soluble/NPH. Ninety two [87%] diabetic adolescents and young adults completed their fast for 30 days with no interruption and 14[13%] broke their fast for 1-8 days. The mean HbAlC level before Ramadan fast was 11% [range 6-18%] and dropped to 10% [6-17%] after the Ramadan fast. After Ramadan month 46 [43%] subjects had fasted with a decrease in HbA 1 C level. 21 [20%] fasted without change in HbA 1 C level and 39 [3 7%] fasted with slight increase in HbA 1 C level. Although, few diabetics have broken the fast [mainly due to hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia] the present work have shown that the large majority of adolescents and young adult diabetics can fast quite safely during the month of Ramadan in the presence of good education and supervision and obviously with modification of their insulin regimen