Effects of Ramadan Fasting on the Symptoms of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Introduction: The effects of Ramadan fasting on gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) remains unknown, and few studies have been conducted in this regard. The nutritional, physiological, psychological, and behavioral changes in fasting individuals during Ramadan may affect the status of GERD. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of these changes on the symptoms of GERD using a meticulous method. Methods: This study was conducted on patients with clinically diagnosed GERD by a gastroenterologist, who was followed-up for three consecutive months (from one month before to after Ramadan). Data were collected using GERD health-related quality of life (GERD-HRQL).For ethical considerations; antisecretory drugs were prescribed for all the patients. After data collection, the subjects were divided into two groups of fasting and non-fasting. Data analysis and comparison were performed in SPSS. Results: total, 69 patients with GERD completed the follow-up, including 33 fasting and 36 non-fasting subjects. No significant differences were observed in the changes of the Total, Heartburn and Regurgitation scores between the Fasting and Non-fasting groups from before Ramadan to Ramadan, Ramasdan to after Ramadan and also before to after Ramadan (P>0.05). Conclusion: According to the results, Ramadan fasting has no effects on the symptoms of GERD in the patients using antisecretory drugs during this month