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Dr. Hassan Al Mousa, a professor at the Faculty of Medicine in King Khalid University (KKU), who is also a consultant in diabetes and chronic diseases, has offered a number of important tips for patients with diabetes. These tips are important for every patient with this disease to observe during the month of Ramadan. With the help of these tips, the patients will be able to perform the worship of fasting in this holy month without causing problems in his or her sugar levels - neither high nor low.

Dr Al Mousa said that, "it is necessary for the patients to adhere to the instructions of their doctors and to consult them regularly in the holy month of Ramadan. Additionally, it is also important to get continuous check ups to know the state of the patient and to recognize the situation regarding the issues of complications. This will help to see the patient' capability to fast in Ramadan".

Dr. Al Mousa added that all diabetic patients must know the reasons or the inability which leads to breaking their fasting. After that, they should be able to know the way to measure their sugar levels at homes during fasting period, and after breaking the fast. Moreover, they must organize their treatment, knowing the mechanism when and how to take their doses, as it has been organized by the International Sugar Organization in the protocol that was released about the holy month of Ramadan.

Dr Al Mousa continued by advising the diabetic patients to watch their foods, asking them to religiously follow a diet. It is considered important and beneficial for them to know the quantity and the type of food which they are allowed to consume that are suitable for their health. In the same manner, they should take into account the time between breakfast and suhoor, and they should manage it into three small meals - equally divided in times - instead of over eating large quantities of sweets and fried foods. It is also essential to drink a large amount of liquids, with more focus on water and unsweetened juices between breakfast and suhoor. In addition to that, delaying suhoor meal to just before fajr Athan (calling to prayer), reducing other unnecessary physical efforts during fasting, and exercising after breaking the fast, are considered important healthy matters for them.      

The optimal way for treatment and for taking the doses of their medication, as explained by Dr. Hassan, is as follows:

- If the treatment depends on food organization and control, the patient should commit himself or herself to allowed type and allowed quantity of food, with undertaking exercises, especially walking.

- If the treatment depends on taking medications to help ease the blood sugar levels, the patient can take the bills in the following ways:

• If the patient used to take the medications before Ramadan once in the morning before breakfast; in Ramadan he / she  should take them first at breakfast.
• If the patient used to take the medication before Ramadan twice a day; in Ramadan he / she should take them first before breakfast and before suhoor. But in case of low sugar symptoms during fasting, the diabetic patient should eat less quantity of food for his or her suhoor meal, or according to the doctor's instructions.  

The Insulin dependent treatment patients:

• If the patient used to take insulin injection once before breakfast; in Ramadan he / she should take it first at breakfast with a continuous check up of sugar levels in blood.
• If the patient used to take insulin injections twice a day; in Ramadan he / she should take the first dose, first at breakfast, and the second one before suhoor, while minimizing the dose to half or three quarters, in order to avoid high or low sugar levels in the blood.
• If the patient used to take long acting insulin and rapid acting insulin injections before meals, in Ramadan he / she should reduce the dose to quarter to be taken first at breakfast, and cancel the dose between breakfast and suhoor, and should reduce the dose before suhoor to half, or according to the doctor's instructions.