Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 Oct 1;78(4):481-495.
doi: 10.1097/FJC.0000000000001097.

Impact of Fasting on Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients With Hypertension

Sabah Hammoud  1   2 , Mazen Kurdi  1 , Bart J F van den Bemt  2   3   4
Affiliations
Review

Impact of Fasting on Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients With Hypertension

Sabah Hammoud et al. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol. .

Abstract

Fasting has been frequently practiced for religious or medical purposes worldwide. However, limited literature assesses the impact of different fasting patterns on the physiologic and cardiac-related parameters in patients with hypertension. This review aims to examine the effect of fasting on cardiovascular outcomes in hypertensive patients. Medline, Embase, and Cochrane library were systematically screened until March 2021 for observational prospective cohorts investigating the effect of fasting on cardiovascular outcomes. Articles were assessed by searching for hypertension and fasting, both as Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms and text words. The review included studies assessing Ramadan, intermittent, and water-only fasting. Water-only fasting reduces body weight, blood pressure, and lipolytic activity of fasting hypertensive patients without affecting average heart rate. Ramadan fasting enhances lipid profile, although it shows conflicting results for body weight, blood pressure, and heart rate variability. Considering the limited studies in this field, further research should be conducted to support the clinical impact of fasting on the cardiovascular health of patients with hypertension.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

References

    1. WHO. World Heart Day. Available at: https://www.who.int/cardiovascular_diseases/world-heart-day/en/ . Accessed February 8, 2020.
    1. WHO. Global Health Estimates 2016 Summary Tables. Deaths by Cause, Age and Sex, by World Bank Income Group, 2000–2015. Available at: https://www.who.int/healthinfo/global_burden_disease/estimates/en/index1... . Accessed February 14, 2020.
    1. American Heart Association. Changes You Can Make to Manage High Blood Pressure. Available at: https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/changes-you-c... . Accessed October 3, 2019.
    1. Al-Arouj M, Assaad-Khalil S, Buse J, et al. Recommendations for management of diabetes during Ramadan: update 2010. Diabetes Care. 2010;33:1895–1902.
    1. Chamsi-Pasha M, Chamsi-Pasha H. The cardiac patient in Ramadan. Avicenna J Med. 2016;6:33.