Fasting and Inflammation

A study of Muslims during Ramadan reported no significant changes in serum total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL levels. TC/HDL ratio was decreased during and after Ramadan in both genders in the fasting group while there were no changes in the nonfasting group. IL-6<0.001), CRP (p<0.001) and homocysteine (p<0.01) levels were significantly low during Ramadan in the fasting subjects of both genders when compared to basal values (1 week before Ramadan) Both IL-6 and CRP are elevated during inflammation, and both, but particularly CRP, are used as markers for Inflammation. There is now a large amount of data showing that elevated CRP levels are a potent risk factor for cardiovascular disease.