Medication helps stabilise blood sugar during Ramadan

Selecting the appropriate medical control of blood sugar for type 2 diabetics fasting during Ramadan can minimise problems of hyper and hypoglycaemia.

A new study presented last weekend at the American Diabetes Association conference in Boston showed how use of liraglutide (marketed as Victoza) combined with metformin reduced hyperglycaemic episodes, improved weight loss and resulted in comparable improvement in the control of glucose to the other drug combination of sulfonylurea and metformin.

Over 50 million Muslims with diabetes worldwide fast during Ramadan and have a 7.5 fold increased risk of hypoglycaemia requiring hospitalisation. Principal researcher, Professor Sami Azar of Beirut Medical Centre, explained: ‘To help minimise the risks, physicians and people (with the disease) should consider evaluating and discussing diabetes management plans in advance of Ramadan.’