Cardiopulmonary Responses to Ramadan Fasting in Hypertensive Patients: A Multigroup Comparative Study

Sukarmin; Edy Soesanto; Yulisetyaningrum; Ratna Aryani

doi:10.56741/IISTR.jphs.001331

Authors

Sukarmin
fairuuzadiba@gmail.com
Universitas Muhammadiyah Kudus https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6536-4988
Edy Soesanto Universitas Muhammadiyah Semarang https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3651-7330
Yulisetyaningrum Universitas Muhammadiyah Kudus https://orcid.org/0009-0005-9631-9052
Ratna Aryani Poltekkes Kemenkes Jakarta 1 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4166-5629

Keywords:

Ramadan fasting, Hypertension, Blood pressure, Heart rate, Oxygen saturation, Cardiovascular health

Abstract

Hypertension remains a major global health challenge, prompting exploration of culturally relevant interventions such as Ramadan fasting. This study evaluated the effects of varying Ramadan fasting intensities on cardiovascular parameters among hypertensive patients. An observational design was applied to 159 participants in a community-based management program in Pati Regency, Indonesia, categorized into non-fasting, partial fasting, and full fasting groups. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) slightly increased in the non-fasting group (164.38 ± 19.12 to 166.04 ± 20.29 mmHg; p = .019), whereas both partial and full fasting groups showed significant SBP reductions (partial: 169.76 ± 16.96 to 163.86 ± 14.30 mmHg; p < .001; full: 171.79 ± 12.78 to 161.07 ± 13.15 mmHg; p < .001). A similar pattern was observed in diastolic blood pressure (DBP), with no significant change in the non-fasting group (p = .182), but significant decreases in the partial (99.28 ± 5.36 to 93.25 ± 6.27 mmHg; p < .001) and full fasting groups (102.86 ± 5.99 to 95.00 ± 6.38 mmHg; p < .001). Only the full fasting group showed a significant reduction in heart rate (97.54 ± 5.81 to 84.25 ± 4.54 bpm; p < .001), while oxygen saturation remained stable across all groups. These findings suggest that full Ramadan fasting provides substantial cardiovascular benefits, supporting its potential as a culturally grounded, non-pharmacological approach hypertension management.

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Author Biographies

Sukarmin, Universitas Muhammadiyah Kudus

Sukarmin is affiliated with the Department of Nursing at Universitas Muhammadiyah Kudus, located on Jalan Ganesha, Purwosari, Kudus. He currently serves as the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs and as a lecturer in medical-surgical nursing. He is actively involved in various scientific forums at both national and international levels, and has contributed to accredited national publications as well as internationally indexed journals, including those indexed by Scopus. (email: sukarmin@umkudus.ac.id )

Edy Soesanto, Universitas Muhammadiyah Semarang

Edy Soesanto is a nursing lecturer at Universitas Muhammadiyah Semarang, specializing in the field of nursing. He has previously served in the quality assurance division and has been actively involved in various nursing research projects. He currently holds the academic rank of Associate Professor (Lektor Kepala) and is on track for promotion to full Professor in the near future. (email: edysoes@unimus.ac.id)

Yulisetyaningrum, Universitas Muhammadiyah Kudus

Yulisetyaningrum is a nursing lecturer at Universitas Muhammadiyah Kudus, currently serving at the Institute for Quality Assurance. She is actively involved in academic publications, particularly in the field of medical-surgical nursing, with contributions to nationally accredited journals. (email: yulisetyaningrum@umkudus.ac.id)

Ratna Aryani, Poltekkes Kemenkes Jakarta 1

Ratna Aryani is a faculty member in Nursing Science at Poltekkes Kemenkes 1 Jakarta. She is actively engaged in writing and publishing research articles in both national and international journals. She is a lecturer in the field of medical-surgical nursing. (email: ratna_aryani@poltekkesjakarta1.ac.id)

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