İstanbul University Faculty of Medicine Department of Cardiovascular, Surgery Robotic Cardiac Surgery Specialist Prof. İhsan Bakır, M.D. says that any cardiac patient who has to take drugs regularly should not skip their drugs to fast. Adding that fasting is very beneficial for the metabolism under normal circumstances, Bakır says, “When hungry, body does not command the pancreas to secrete insulin. This means some kind of rest for the organs. I think one should fast not only for a month a year but maybe for one day a week throughout the year. Both the metabolism would have a break and get ready for Ramadan.”
Prof. İhsan Bakır, M.D. also states that a patient who has undergone an open heart surgery can start to fast only two months after the surgery for bone recovery even if they feel better, adding “Patients who has undergone robotic bypass surgery do not have to wait so longer because we perform the operation without cutting the sternum (chest bone) in robotic heart surgeries. If a patient with a heart problem takes drugs regularly and their doctor has recommended them to take the drugs absolutely in a regular manner, the patient should not skip the drugs to fast. For example, fasting may cause disadvantages for those who take diabetes medication and use insulin and have to take blood thinners more than once a day due to risk of atrial fibrillation or embolism or for cardiac valve patients. As cardiac patients are followed up, it can be decided whether they can fast at least under the supervision of family physician.”
METABOLISM BENEFITS FROM FASTING ONE DAY A WEEK
Adding that fasting is very beneficial for metabolism, Prof. İhsan Bakır, M.D. says, “When hungry, body does not command the pancreas to secrete insulin. This means some kind of rest for the organs. Instant glucose overloads, insulin secretion or liver enzymes get involved and accelerating the metabolism stop for a moment. Even intestines do not send a single stimulus to brain, and brain cannot secrete the relevant hormones. Metabolism of someone whose hormones and hormone secretion rates are resting also slows down. Body being positively affected by this is always a medically expected situation. I, as a cardiovascular surgeon, think one should fast not only for a month a year but maybe for one day a week throughout the year. You can think that both the metabolism would have a break and get ready for Ramadan.”
THOSE WITH THYROID DISORDERS SHOULD BE CAUTIOUS!
Pointing out that fasting can be inconvenient for patients with thyroid disorders, Prof. İhsan Bakır, M.D. continues as follow:
“If the patient has thyroid dysfunctions, he/she has to drink water very frequently and has a fast metabolism, what I have said before does not apply to them. Patients with weak immune system are more inclined to infection when they are deprived of food and do not receive the required calorie. Such patients need to take sufficient amount of calorie to fast or should not fast at all. Because they need to eat food enriched with calorie frequently and at short intervals. And there is the smoking. Smoking when hungry in iftar and in suhoor can cause heart attacks not only in cardiac patients but also healthy individuals. Especially chain-smoking in iftar is much more dangerous in terms of heart attack. As the body is yet to achieve the balance of energy, oxygen consumption, fluid and electrolyte just after a long period of hunger and dehydration, toxins in the cigarette circulating abundantly through veins can trigger heart attack by hemorrhage and small tears in fat deposits that leads to arteriosclerosis as well as causing arrhythmia, hypertension and sudden vasoconstriction.