Jeddah,August 26: Fasting is a pillar of Islam and is prescribed for all Muslims, who have to go without food and water from sunrise to sunset.
Those suffering from diseases such as diabetes have to take special care when fasting, according to Dr Safiyul Rahman, internist, Sameera Polyclinic in Jeddah.
He said that fasting in both Type I and Type II diabetes is possible with supervision of the doctor.
The diabetic population in the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, which was 333 million in 2006, would reach 370 million in 2025.
It is estimated that 80 percent of the 246 million diabetic people around the world live in developing countries. Almost 30 percent of the Saudis are diabetic.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Saudi Arabia is one of 10 countries that have the highest number of diabetics in the world. Diabetes affects nearly 30 percent of the population in the Kingdom.
Rahman explained that diabetes is a pancreatic disease causing the organ to produce insufficient amounts of insulin, which is an important hormone for processing glucose into glycogen.
There are two types of diabetes: Diabetes Mellitus I (Type I) , which can be caused by infections of certain bacteria or viruses, exposure to food-borne toxins and feeding very young infants cow’s milk; and Diabetes Mellitus II (Type II), caused by a combination of age, lack of exercise and obesity.
—Agencies