Bohamad Abdullah H, Aladhab Walaa A, Alhashem Sawsan S, Alajmi Mohammed S, Alhumam Turki, Alqattan Danah J, Elshebiny Ahmed M
Internal Medicine, King Faisal University, Al Ahsa, SAU.
Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, King Faisal University, Al Ahsa, SAU.
Cureus. 2023 Mar 28;15(3):e36831. doi: 10.7759/cureus.36831. eCollection 2023 Mar.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a condition caused by the reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus. Heartburn, chest discomfort, and regurgitation are the main symptoms. Medications, surgical procedures, and lifestyle modification are considered treatment options. Fasting is believed to be one of the lifestyle modifications that helps minimize GERD symptoms. Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, and smoking from dawn until dusk. The objectives of our study were to investigate the relationship between fasting and GERD symptoms and evaluate how fasting affects GERD symptoms in Saudi Arabia.
This was a longitudinal study that selected GERD patients for its consecutive sampling. The patients answered the questionnaires at two separate times: once during Ramadan and once after Ramadan. A validated gastroesophageal reflux disease health-related quality of life (GERD-HRQL) self-administered survey was used.
After Ramadan, heartburn symptoms significantly decreased, particularly when lying down. Overall, the 45-point heartburn score decreased from 17.9 during Ramadan to 14.3 thereafter. The regurgitation score decreased from 12.3 during Ramadan to 9.9 after fasting, with statistical significance (P = .049). Although satisfaction was much higher after Ramadan (17% vs. 15.1%), there was no statistical significance (P = .422), and 45.3% of the patients were satisfied with their health state during Ramadan compared to 34% after Ramadan. There was no relationship between the severity of GERD symptoms before or after fasting and the type of food, the timing of eating, or the amount of food consumed.
The results suggested that Ramadan fasting may improve GERD symptoms. However, more studies are required to validate these results and comprehend the underlying mechanisms.
胃食管反流病（GERD）是一种由胃内容物反流至食管引起的疾病。烧心、胸部不适和反流是主要症状。药物治疗、手术治疗和生活方式改变被认为是治疗选择。禁食被认为是有助于减轻GERD症状的生活方式改变之一。穆斯林从黎明到黄昏禁食、禁饮和禁烟。我们研究的目的是调查禁食与GERD症状之间的关系，并评估禁食如何影响沙特阿拉伯的GERD症状。
这是一项纵向研究，通过连续抽样选择GERD患者。患者在两个不同时间回答问卷：一次在斋月期间，一次在斋月之后。使用了经过验证的胃食管反流病健康相关生活质量（GERD-HRQL）自我管理调查问卷。
斋月过后，烧心症状显著减轻，尤其是在躺下时。总体而言，45分的烧心评分从斋月期间的17.9降至之后的14.3。反流评分从斋月期间的12.3降至禁食后的9.9，具有统计学意义（P = 0.049）。尽管斋月过后满意度更高（17%对15.1%），但无统计学意义（P = 0.422），45.3%的患者对斋月期间的健康状况满意，而斋月过后这一比例为34%。禁食前后GERD症状的严重程度与食物类型、进食时间或进食量之间没有关系。
结果表明斋月禁食可能改善GERD症状。然而，需要更多研究来验证这些结果并理解其潜在机制。
