ReviewDiabetes therapy : research, treatment and education of diabetes and related disorders2023
Effects of Ramadan Fasting on Glycaemic Control Among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Observational Studies.
Review in Diabetes therapy : research, treatment and education of diabetes and related disorders, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 18 citations in OpenAlex.
- Circadian alignment of food intake and glycaemic control by time-restricted eating: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Reviews in endocrine & metabolic disorders · 2024Pooled it
- Intermittent fasting in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Review
- Effects of fasting on endothelial function in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: cohort study.Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine · 2025Article
- Precision Medicine in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Utility and Limitations.Diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity : targets and therapy · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionThe prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is increasing around the world. Although Muslims with a physical illness are exempted from fasting during the month of Ramadan, a great number still choose to fast, often without medical consultations. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate the impact of observing Ramadan fasting (RF) on glycaemic control in patients with T2D.
methodsThe Web of Science, Scopus, EBSCOhost, CINAHL, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library, ProQuest Central and Europe PubMed Central (Medline) databases were searched for relevant studies published between January 2000 and December 2021. Observational studies that examined the changes in body weight (BW) and glucose parameters (glycosylated haemoglobin [HbA1c] and fasting blood glucose [FBG]), before and after RF among different age groups with T2D were included in the systemic review and meta-analysis. Effect sizes for the tested outcomes were calculated as weighted mean difference (WMD), with their confidence intervals (CI). Quality assessment was examined using the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) tool.
resultsOf the 1592 identified records, 12 studies conducted in Middle Eastern and Asian countries were eligible and included in the quantitative analyses. The quality of the retrieved studies was evaluated and found to range between fair (83%) and good (17%). These 12 studies included 5554 participants of whom 54% were males and 46% were females. Our pooled analysis demonstrated that HbA1c and FBG levels significantly decreased after RF when compared to the pre-fasting levels (WMD = 0.55 mg/dl, 95% CI 0.33-0.77, P < 0.00001, Ι
conclusionThe impact of RF on adult patients with T2D is associated with favorable outcomes. However, future studies should evaluate data from young adults separately. In addition, it is essential to identify the effects of the number of fasting days (level of exposure), diet, level of physical activity and sleeping pattern on optimal glycaemic control. This information could be utilized by medical professionals as a non-pharmacological therapeutic method for management of diabetes in patients who are willing to practice fasting during Ramadan and other months of the year. STUDY REGISTRATION: PROSPERO: CRD42022314752.
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