Effect of Ramadan fasting on fatigue, mood, and cognition in old chronic kidney disease Egyptian patients: a pilot study

Abstract

Introduction Muslims fast during the whole lunar month of Ramadan from dawn to sunset. Some studies have evaluated the effect of the different patterns of intermittent fasting including Ramadan fasting (RF) on the perception of fatigue, mood, and cognitive functions in healthy individuals and in some patient groups, but the effect of RF on the perception of fatigue, mood, and cognitive functions was not assessed previously in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Aim This study aimed to evaluate the effect of RF on fatigue, depressed mood, anxiety, and cognition in a cohort of old Egyptian CKD patients who fulfilled fasting during the whole month of Ramadan. Patients and methods This was an observational pilot study that included 20 CKD patients (eight men and 12 women), mean age 61.9 years, who fasted during the whole lunar month of Ramadan. Fatigue, mood, and cognition were assessed using standardized questionnaires before and after RF. Complete blood count, serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate, serum albumin, body weight, BMI, and body composition assessed by bioimpedance analysis were determined within a week before and within a week after RF. Results RF was associated with significant worsening of fatigue (P=0.001), depressed mood (P Conclusion RF is associated with significant worsening of fatigue, mood, and cognition in old CKD patients. RF had no significant effect on renal function tests or body composition in these patients.