Diabetes and Ramadan Fasting (2023): The Year in Review

Abstract

Introduction We aimed to provide an overview of the global literature production on diabetes and Ramadan in the past year (2023). Materials and Methods This is a narrative, nonsystematic review of the international literature from two major medical online databases (PubMed and Google Scholar) in 2023. The search term “Diabetes AND Ramadan fasting” was used, and the relevant literature was narrated in a concise thematic account. Results The publications spanned a vast array of topics related to diabetes and Ramadan fasting (RF), including physiology and nutrition, risk assessment stratification tools and their validation, assessments of safety and efficacy profiles of older and newer diabetes therapies, diabetes education, use of advanced technology for the treatment, and monitoring and impact on pregnancy. Some reports covered the interaction between Ramadan and COVID-19 concerning diabetes, pregnancy, complications, and unique characteristics of diabetes and fasting by young and older people. Conclusion The current narration presents this year's global scholarly production on the safety of fasting practices, care models, and patients' experiences and perspectives.