Re: Kidney Function and Metabolic Profile of Chronic Kidney Disease and Hemodialysis Patients During Ramadan Fasting

Dear Editor, We Read with great interest the article by Al Wakeel about fasting effects on hemodialysis, published in the Iranian Journal of Kidney Diseases. Ramadan is one of the months in Islamic calendar in which people have been given glade tidings to good and blessing. Muslims after the age of puberty abstain from eating and drinking from dawn until sunset during Ramadan. They have two meals per day, Iftar at sunset and Sohor before dawn and there is no limitation on any special food items during sunset until dawn. Dispensation from fasting is allowed during sickness, menstruation, pregnancy, breast feeding, and travel, and also for debilitated elderly people. The philosophy of fasting in the Islamic culture is to teach endurance and train patience and to feel for the sufferings of the deprived. Since the Arabic calendar employs a lunar cycle, the Arabic year contains 354 days. So, Ramadan moves back eleven days every year and may be situated in any of the four seasons. Thus, fasting hours can be variable from 11 to 18 hours.