Management of patients with cardiovascular diseases during Ramadan

During the month of Ramadan, over 1 billion Muslims observe a water and food fast from sunrise to sunset. The practice of this religious duty causes marked changes in eating and sleeping habits. With the increasing incidence of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, the number of patients with CV pathologies who wish to fast is increasing worldwide, and in Tunisia, which is ranked as a high CV risk country. If fasting has been shown to be beneficial for the improvement of some metabolic parameters, its practice in patients with CV pathology remains debated. The Tunisian Society of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery (STCCCV) in consultation with the National Instance of Evaluation and Accreditation in Health (INEAS) has established this document in the form of a consensus after having analysed the literature with the aim of addressing these questions: • What is the impact of fasting in patients with CV pathologies? • How to stratify the risk of fasting according to CV pathology and comorbidities? • How to plan fasting in patients with CV diseases? • What are the hygienic and dietary measures to be recommended during fasting in patients with CV pathologies? • How to manage medication during the month of Ramadan in patients with CV diseases?.