TUESDAY, April 15 (HealthDay News) -- Prolonged fasting may
increase the risk of a rare type of stroke almost three-fold,
according to a new study.
The research focused on five years of data from three hospitals
in Iran, a Muslim country where fasting is a religious practice
followed during the month of Ramadan. During the month, the average
number of people admitted for cerebral venous sinus thrombosis
(CVST), was 5.5, compared with 2.0 during the rest of the year.
CVST is a rare type of stroke that most often affects young
adults and children and is more common in women. However, the study
results showed that the average age and percentage of men versus
women was the same in the two groups of patients.
The study was to be presented Tuesday at the American Academy of
Neurology annual meeting, in Chicago.
"These results need to be confirmed by other studies, but they
should be looked at carefully," study author Dr. Mohammad
Saadatnia, of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, said in a
prepared statement. "Coexistence of usual risk factors, such as
oral contraceptive and coagulopathic disorders, along with
dehydration in patients while prolonged fasting can be the reason
for increased susceptibility to CVST. People and their physicians
need to be aware of possible complications of prolonged
fasting."
Previous studies have shown that fasting during Ramadan does not
affect the rate of arterial stroke. More than one billion Muslims
fast worldwide during Ramadan.
More information
The National Stroke Association has more about
strokes.
