Worship and a healing journey. Doctors advise early preparation for fasting

As the month of Ramadan 2026 approaches, doctors have warned against treating preparation for the holy month as a mere change in meal times, stressing that it is an independent health stage in itself, representing a comprehensive reset of the “biological clock,” metabolism, and hormone secretion system in the body, and that the absence of medical preparation may make the first days of Ramadan the most difficult physically and psychologically.

They said that early preparation turns fasting from a “sudden shock” to the body into an organized “recovery process,” which alleviates common symptoms in the first days, such as headaches, lethargy, and digestive disorders, while late preparation is often just a reaction that fails to protect the body from stress, mood disturbance, and poor concentration.

They identified six categories that should not begin fasting without a careful medical evaluation and a visit to a doctor. They include: “patients with unstable heart failure, those suffering from recent or recurring angina, patients with serious heart rhythm disturbances, those who have recently undergone catheterization, stent placement, or heart surgery, patients with uncontrolled high blood pressure, and diabetes patients.” They also identified four categories whose owners believe they are healthy, but need a medical review before Ramadan, and they are “pre-diabetic patients, and those who are overweight.” “And obesity, and those who suffer from anemia and vitamin deficiency, in addition to smokers and excessive caffeine consumption.”

In detail, family medicine specialist, Dr. Rehab Youssef Al-Saadi, said that preparing for Ramadan should not be limited to changing eating times only, because its arrival represents a comprehensive reset of the biological clock, metabolism, and hormone secretion system in the body.

She explained that early preparation for fasting transforms it from a “sudden shock” to the body into an organized “healing process,” which reduces common symptoms in the first days of Ramadan, such as headaches, lethargy, and digestive system disorders.

She confirmed that there are groups that believe they are in good health, but in reality they need a medical review before entering the month of Ramadan. They are “pre-diabetic” patients who do not know that their sugar levels are irregular, those who are overweight and obese to arrange a diet that prevents weight gain in Ramadan, those who suffer from anemia, and those who suffer from vitamin deficiency, because fasting may stress them doubly, and smokers and heavy caffeine consumers to develop a gradual withdrawal plan to avoid severe headache attacks.

She explained that the difference between early and late health preparedness lies in the body’s ability to adapt, as early preparedness allows for gradual modification of eating and sleeping habits, and re-adjusting the doses of some medications when needed, while late preparedness leads to the body being placed in a state of tension and stress, which negatively affects mood and concentration.

She warned that sudden changes in sleeping and eating patterns before Ramadan may raise levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), which may cause blood pressure disturbances in patients with high blood pressure, unstable blood sugar levels, in addition to problems in the digestive system that make the beginning of fasting physically and psychologically stressful.

Al-Saadi warned of the danger of some people relying on the experiences of others or general advice, including artificial intelligence advice, saying: “Artificial intelligence, despite its usefulness, does not have (visual diagnosis) nor does it know your accurate medical history or the results of your recent laboratory tests, and relying entirely on it to determine doses of medications or harsh diets may lead to complications such as a sharp drop in blood sugar or dehydration.”

She continued: “Do not let your body experience fasting for the first time on the first day of Ramadan,” calling for starting early by reducing stimulants, making sure to drink sufficient amounts of water, and consulting a doctor in the event of any chronic diseases, to achieve safe fasting free of complications, and not just abstaining from food.

Interventional cardiologist Dr. Hisham Tayel confirmed that heart patients need special health preparation before the month of Ramadan, given the sudden changes imposed by fasting in the pattern of eating, sleeping, and medication schedules. He pointed out that the lack of medical preparation may make the first days of the month one of the most difficult periods for a heart patient.

He explained that entering the month of Ramadan without health preparation exposes the patient to several sudden changes, most notably a decrease in the level of fluids in the body and the occurrence of dehydration, which may lead to a drop in blood pressure or an accelerated heartbeat, and sometimes an increase in the risk of clots. In addition, changing the timing of medications without medical regulation may cause instability of the heart condition, and disturbed sleep and staying up late increases the level of physical stress and increases the burden on the heart muscle.

He stated that there are categories of heart patients who should urgently consult a doctor before Ramadan, and who should not begin fasting without careful evaluation, including patients with unstable heart failure, those suffering from recent or recurring angina, patients with dangerous rhythm disturbances, in addition to those who have recently undergone cardiac catheterization, stent placement, or heart operations, as well as patients with uncontrolled blood pressure, explaining that these groups need a clear treatment plan, and some of them may be advised not to fast for their safety.

He pointed out that the doctor determines in advance the safety of fasting for the patient through several indicators, including the stability of symptoms over the previous weeks, and the results of medical examinations such as an ECG, echo, or stress test, in addition to assessing the patient’s ability to tolerate long periods without food or fluids, and studying the risks of changing the dates or doses of medications, and based on that, the decision is made either to allow fasting, or to develop a special daily program, or to recommend avoiding fasting.

He pointed out a number of wrong eating and medication habits that some heart patients fall into before Ramadan, such as reducing drinking water in the belief that the body will “get used to it,” changing medication schedules without consulting a doctor, or eating heavy meals in order to prepare, which exhausts the heart, in addition to relying on stimulants and staying up late, which raises blood pressure and increases heart palpitations.

He warned against inaccurate medical information circulating on social media before Ramadan, which poses a real danger to heart patients, as it contains random advice such as encouraging patients to stop medications while fasting, or using herbs and supplements that may conflict with heart treatments, or reducing the risk of dehydration and heart failure, in addition to circulating advice that does not take into account individual differences between patients, pointing out that the danger of this information lies in that it appears reassuring, but it may push the patient to make decisions that threaten his health.

Family Medicine Consultant, Dr. Weam Ahmed, explained that fasting during the month of Ramadan directly affects the regulation of metabolic processes in the body, as a result of the change in meal times, hours of sleep, and times of taking medications, stressing that good readiness and preparation before the start of the month of fasting is necessary to maintain the stability of the health condition and avoid complications.

She explained that patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, as well as patients with high blood pressure, need continuous medical follow-up and comprehensive examinations, with the necessity of seeing a doctor and seeking medical advice before the month of Ramadan, even in cases that appear stable, in order to ensure the safety of fasting and to modify the treatment plan when needed.

She stressed that the decision to fast must be based on an individual medical evaluation for each case, by conducting a comprehensive examination that includes reviewing liver and kidney function tests, and salt levels in the body, in addition to evaluating heart function in patients with high blood pressure, noting that these tests help estimate the potential risks during fasting.

She explained that one of the most common mistakes is for some patients with diabetes or high blood pressure to decide to fast without conducting the necessary tests or consulting a doctor, and without reviewing the medications used or adjusting their schedules to suit the hours of fasting.

She stressed that it is never advisable for a diabetic patient to make the decision to fast based solely on previous blood sugar readings, even if they were good. She explained that these readings do not fully reflect the risks of hypoglycemia during long hours of fasting, and do not reveal the possibility of imperceptible hypospadias, which are common, nor the extent of the safety of current medications during fasting, or the presence of accompanying kidney, heart, or blood pressure problems.

• 6 categories should see a doctor before fasting Ramadan, and 4 other categories think they are fine.