Can patients with diabetes fast?
Many individuals with diabetes fast during Ramadan without hesitation, considering the spiritual responsibility of not fasting, sometimes even without taking their illness into account. However, fasting may pose a risk for patients with severe diabetes, as it can lead to hypoglycemia, a condition in which blood sugar drops to dangerously low levels.
On the other hand, it cannot be denied that fasting during Ramadan brings about a sense of spiritual fulfillment due to compliance with the command of Allah, and that this has a calming effect.
There are certain principles and criteria for diabetic patients who may be able to fast. These can be outlined as follows:
• Male diabetic patients should be over the age of twenty; in other words, the type of diabetes should be the form that appears in adulthood or old age.
• Female diabetic patients over the age of twenty should not be pregnant and should not be breastfeeding.
• The individual’s weight should be normal or slightly above normal.
• There should be no significant fluctuations in blood glucose levels, nor the presence of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or infection.
• These patients should not have a secondary serious illness such as hypertension, coronary artery disease, or kidney stones.
• Their bodies should respond positively to dietary regulation.
• Their bodies should respond to medical treatment