RESUMO
The study evaluated the efficacy of fasting in Ramadan on the clinical, laboratory and ultrasonographic parameters of chronic liver disease patients. A total of 202 patients were selected from the departments of Tropical medicine and outpatient clinics of Al-Azhar University hospitals, Cairo, Egypt from the 26[th] of July till the 30[th] of September 2010. Patients submitted to complete clinical, laboratory, ultrasonographic and endoscopic evaluation pre, during, and post Ramadan. The fasting group was 103 [51%] and the non-fasting group was 99 [49%] patients. The non-fasting group showed significantly a good adherence to therapy [43.4%] compared to [27.2%] the fasting group [p=0.0l6]. Dyspeptic symptoms was higher in the fasting [53.4%] compared to [38.4%] the non-fasting group [p=0.032]. G.I. bleeding during Ramadan was higher in the fasting group [17.5%] compared to non-fasting [14.1%], but the bleeding due to o.v. was significantly higher in the non-fasting group [9.1%] compared to [1%] in the fasting group [p=0.004]. Chronic hepatitis in the fasting group showed non significant changes pre, during and post-Ramadan regarding liver function. Fasting cirrhotic group patients child class C was developed to [13%] during and [32.6%] after Ramadan compared to [0%] before [p=0.001]