Diabetic patients and ramadan / Journal of the ASEAN Federation of Endocrine Societies

@#More than 50 million people with diabetes mellitus fast during Ramadan, a religious obligation for all healthy adult Muslims. Fasting leads to several physiological changes in the body and these may result in acute complications in persons with uncontrolled diabetes such as hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis, dehydration and thrombosis. Evidence from existing literature guides the physicians in their assessment of Muslim patients with diabetes who wish to fast. Assessment should include risk stratification based on existing control of diabetes and its chronic complications. In the light of this assessment medical recommendation is given which includes dose modification of oral medication and insulin, dietary advice and structured patient education.

Association of blood lipid and glucose levels with carotid intima media thickness

To measure the differences in CIMT across groups based upon normal and higher levels of fasting glucose and lipids. This cross sectional study was carried out between January to June 2011 at department of radiology and pathology, PNS Rahat hospital Karachi. From a target population of patients presenting for fasting blood glucose measurement, a total 0f 201 subjects were short listed and consented after various exclusion. These patients were sampled for glucose and lipids after brief clinical evaluation. Later subjects underwent CIMT measurement in radiology department. Age showed moderate positive correlation with CIMT readings [r=0.493, p=0.000], while BMI[r=0.038, p=0.636], fasting blood glucose [r=0.038, p=0.646], triglyceride [r=0.179, p=0.029], and total cholesterol [r=0.221, p=0.007] showed lesser correlations. Patients with hyperglycemia had higher CIMT [[Group-1, Normolycemia, FBG 5.5mmol/L= 0.7180 +/- 0.147cm][p=0.028]]. Mean CIMT values among subjects with hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia were higher than patients with normal triglycerides and cholesterol [[triglyceride:p=0.040] [total cholesterol: p=0.055]]. The carotid intima medial layers were found to be thicker in subjects having higher blood levels of fasting blood glucose, triglycerides and total cholesterol