Evaluation of Long-Term Thirst due to Ramadan Fasting in Terms of Acute Kidney Injury

Objective: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is characterized by a rapid decline (i.e., within hours and days) of renal function. Long-term thirst due to fasting may cause a decrease in both the intravascular volume and kidney perfusion. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between long-term thirst due to fasting and AKI.

Materials and Methods: Forty-five individuals (24 females, 21 males; mean age, 75±12 years) whose kidney function was normal and who were fasting during the month of Ramadan in 2014 participated in the study. The participants were divided into three groups: the first group was aged >60 years and using angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors for hypertension, the second group was aged >60 years and did not use drugs, and the third group was aged <40 years. The thirst period was 18 hours. The Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) criteria were used for AKI diagnosis.

Results: When all groups were evaluated according to the AKIN-urinary output criteria, the first 6-hour period was the AKI stage1, and the final 12-hour period was the AKI stage 2. There was a small (0.06 mg/dL) but significant increase in the mean serum creatinine level in all groups (p=0.001). Cases could not be evaluated in terms of the AKIN creatinine criteria because the thirst period was not 48 hours long and the increase in creatinine levels was not >0.3 mg/dL.

Conclusion: The thirst due to fasting did not increase the risk of AKI in the population with a normal kidney function, and the AKIN-urinary output criteria alone were not adequate to evaluate AKI in patients who were fasting during the month of Ramadan.

Cite this article as: Baloğlu İ, Pektaş F, Tonbul HZ, Selçuk NY, Türkmen K. Evaluation of Long-Term Thirst due to Ramadan Fasting in Terms of Acute Kidney Injury. Turk J Nephrol 2020; 29(1): 18-22.