Effects of prolonged fasting on fatigue and quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis.
Fasting is one of the recommended worships of several great religions in the world. During the month of Ramadan, circadian rhythm and pattern of eating changes result in physiological, biochemical and hormonal changes in the body. Many Muslims with medical conditions ask their physicians about the feasibility and safety of fasting during Ramadan. In this study, we aim to assess the effect of Ramadan fasting on the quality of life and fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients according to McDonald's criteria who had mild disability (EDSS score ≤3) were included in this study. Fatigue and quality of life were were assessed using the validated Persian versions of modified fatigue impact scale (MFIS) and multiple sclerosis quality of life-54 (MSQOL-54) questionnaires, respectively. 218 patients (150 females and 68 males) were enrolled in our study. There was no statistically significant difference between the mean total score of MSIF before and after fasting (25.50 ± 13.81 versus 26.94 ± 16.65; p = 0.58). The mean physical health and mental health composites of quality of life increased significantly after fasting (p = 0.008 and p = 0.003 respectively). Despite the observed lack of favorable effects on fatigue, our results showed increased quality of life of MS patients once Ramadan has ended. Whether this is specifically related to Ramadan-related fasting deserves further testing in appropriately designed larger prospective clinical studies.
['Etemadifar|Masoud|M|', 'Sayahi|Farnaz|F|', 'Alroughani|Raed|R|', 'Toghianifar|Nafiseh|N|', 'Akbari|Mojtaba|M|', 'Nasr|Zahra|Z|']
D000328:Adult D016022:Case-Control Studies D004185:Disability Evaluation D005215:Fasting D005221:Fatigue D005260:Female D006801:Humans D007492:Iran D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D009103:Multiple Sclerosis D011446:Prospective Studies D011788:Quality of Life D012720:Severity of Illness Index D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires D055815:Young Adult
Fasting Fatigue Quality of life Multiple sclerosis Islam