KARACHI: Pakistan’s leading medical specialists Professor Yakoob Ahmedani and Professor Abdul Basit urged the media to educate the general public and encourage them to approach their doctors.

“Patients should specifically ask their doctors about medication dosage and timing alteration, diet and fluid intake, physical activity, self-monitoring of blood glucose, and symptoms of low/high blood glucose that may necessitate breaking the fast in order to prevent damage or danger to the patients’ well-being”. They said while speaking at a seminar on guidelines for Diabetics while fasting, recently organised at the Karachi Press Club by Sanofi Pakistan.

With so many Muslims with diabetes wanting to fast, there was a dire need for internationally recognized guidelines for doctors to follow while advising their patients. Greater awareness on this topic in a holistic way will improve the lives of patients and make Ramazan a safer experience for people with diabetes.

“Millions of Muslims with diabetes are eager to fast during Ramazan worldwide. The purpose of Ramazan Study Group (Pakistan) and Diabetes and Ramadan International Alliance is to ensure safe fasting for these millions of diabetics. They ideally must consult the doctor prior to the onset of Ramadan and it is the treating physician who would assess the ability of their patients to fast and advise accordingly,” said Prof Abdul Basit (Author of “Guidelines on Diabetes Management during Ramadan”, Chair-Elect, IDF MENA region/Chairman, Pakistan working group on ‘Diabetic Foot’). He also emphasized that following a highly individualized management plan and close follow-up is essential to avoid development of complications.

Leading nutritionist Prof Dr Rubina Hakeem said, “Patients do not always fully understand the implications of diabetes and the impact that fasting could have on their health as they do not seek timely medical advice. There is a need for patients to be aware of the risks, e.g. people often over-indulge in unhealthy food items (deep fried foods, carbohydrates, fatty foods and sugary drinks), or abandon portion control, consuming large quantities at Iftar. These behaviours can raise the risk of loss of blood glucose control, leading to complications.”

Secretary Karachi Press Club Maqsood A Yousufi welcomed the speakers and thanked Sanofi Pakistan for organising such an informative and useful event at KPC premises.

The speakers advised to avoid rigorous exercise while fasting however light exercise is not harmful. They termed ‘Taravee’ as a form of exercise, which could substitute a daily walk. Any additional exercise maybe adopted two hours after Iftar. The people with diabetic conditions are advised to check their blood glucose levels before any exercise.

Diabetes is increasing at an alarming rate in Pakistan. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Diabetes Atlas (7th edition) there are currently (approx) 7 million diabetic patients in Pakistan; by 2040 Pakistan is projected to have 14.4 million diabetics and will rank 8th in the world.—PR