The effect of Ramadan fasting on serum calcium, phosphorus, andParathyroid hormone in normal healthy subjects

Abstract

Fasting during Ramadan is a religious duty for all healthy adult Muslims. Fasting is abstention
from food & drink from dawn to sunset. The aim of the study is to evaluate the effect of fasting of
Ramadan on serum calcium turnover. The study was conducted on the undergraduate students of
college of medicine of Tikrit University during year of 2004 from Oct. to Nov. 20 subjects were
participate in this study & were fasted the holy month of Ramadan. Fasting venous blood samples
were obtained from each subject at the beginning (pre Ramadan), mid, & end of Ramadan. Serum
calcium, phosphate, & PTH hormones were measured. There is a significant increase in serum PTH in
response to significant decrease in serum calcium at the mid of Ramadan. While at the end of
Ramadan there is a significant increase in serum calcium as compare with mid of Ramadan value &
this result associated with significant decrease in PTH value & both of calcium & PTH reach almost
toward normal value at the end of Ramadan. Moreover, there is no significant differences in the values
of serum phosphate between pre, mid & end of Ramadan in fasting subjects.