Effect of Ramadan fasting on alanine transferase (ALT) in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)

Introduction: The effects of Ramadan fasting on NAFLD are unknown and there are very limited studies have done in this area. Some nutritional and behavioral changes of fasting people in Ramadan can affect NAFLD. These include nutrition with high fat and calories, altering in weight and sleep and low physical activity. We decided to evaluate the effects of these changes on one of the important indicators of deterioration of NAFLD, ALT. Methods: Sixty patients with fatty liver disease performed two consecutive ALT exams before and after Ramadan month of whom finally 34 were fasting and 26 nonfasting. After collecting data they were divided in two groups of fasting and nonfasting and compared using SPSS software. Results: Mean ALT change from before to after Ramadan was higher and positive in fasting (+7.38±8.47 IU/L) compared to nonfastng patients that was negative (-0.12±10.15 IU/L) (P=0.002) and this change was mainly in patients who had fasted 21-30 days. Conclusion: Ramadan fasting may increase ALT. It is needed to perform more studies in patients with NAFLD during Ramadan fasting with larger sample size and in various conditions especially weight loss with patients’ education for observing dietary regimen.