A health expert has urged citizens to undergo pre-Ramadan medical assessments, improve health awareness, and avoid dehydration during the holy month. A well-balanced, healthy diet rich in fibre, low in salt, and low on the glycemic index is essential for those intending to fast during Ramadan. People who wish to exercise should preferably do so after iftar, the expert said.
Prof Dr Mohammed Rehan Omar, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at the National Medical Center and Life Healthcare Clinics, Karachi, expressed these views while delivering a lecture titled “Medication and Lifestyle Adjustments During Ramadan: The Month of Unlimited Blessings” at the L.E.J. National Science Information Center, University of Karachi (UoK). The event was organised by the Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research (PCMD) in collaboration with the Sindh Innovation Research and Education Network (SIREN).
Earlier, Prof Dr Muhammad Raza Shah, Director of the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi, welcomed the guest speaker.
Prof Rehan Omar said that although some people lose weight during Ramadan, weight regain is commonly seen a few weeks after the month ends. He emphasised the need for structured, consistent lifestyle changes to prevent rapid post-Ramadan weight gain. Rejecting the myth that exercise during Ramadan is unsafe or ineffective, he emphasised that regular physical activity is essential for maintaining strength and cardiovascular health during the holy month. He warned against excessive consumption of carbohydrate- and fat-rich foods, particularly at sehri and iftar, and recommended nutritional counselling to help people remain healthy and well-hydrated during Ramadan. Expressing serious concern over Pakistan’s high burden of diabetes, he said the country has the highest prevalence of diabetes in the world. Globally, at least 463 million people are living with diabetes, he added.
Discussing who should not fast, he said patients with poorly controlled hypertension, recent acute coronary syndrome or myocardial infarction, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with obstruction, severe valvular disease, severe heart failure, poorly controlled arrhythmias, and those at high risk of fatal arrhythmias should avoid fasting unless advised otherwise by their doctors.
Patients with kidney disease, however, may fast under medical supervision with continuous monitoring of their kidney or graft function, he said.