Muslims will begin the one-month-long fasting month of Ramadan this week, during which they will abstain from eating and drinking from dusk until dawn.

Dr. Agasjtya Wisjnu Wardhana, an internist from the Indonesian Society of Internal Medicine, said that fasting was safe for the elderly.

"The person must first and foremost find out about their own health condition by visiting their doctor about a week before fasting begins to readjust any medications," he said, adding that eating patterns should be gradually changed before the fasting month.

"If they can apply a good dietary pattern, their life expectancy and quality of life will improve," he said on Saturday.

According to Dr Nina K. Sari, a geriatric specialist, fasting is safe if the elderly enjoy good health and have no acute infections or illnesses.

To support fasting, people should drink throughout the fasting break regardless of thirst and break the fast healthily with light snacks such as dates, she added.

"The stomach, which has flattened throughout the day, must be filled gradually," she said.

She added that the elderly should remain as active as possible during the day by performing light exercise such as flexing the joint muscles.

"They should also get enough rest, not necessarily through sleeping. Sitting would do," she said.

Dr. Imam Effendi, an internist specializing in kidneys and hypertension, said type and seriousness of the disease would determine a patient's ability to fast.

For example, he said, people suffering from the early stages of kidney stones must drink around 20 glasses of water per day.

"This is sometimes hard to do because of the limited meal times during fasting. Thus, we do not advise them to fast," he said.

Drinking plenty of water helps dilute the "stones" that form in the kidneys, which can be made of calcium and waste products.

"But for those who are undergoing kidney dialysis treatment, fasting is safe since the dialysis machine will extract any excess water," he added. "Fasting itself limits the amount of water in the body."

Kidney dialysis therapy is for patients suffering from chronic kidney failure.

Gastroenterologist Dr. Ari F. Syam said that fasting helped battle dyspepsia by regulating meals into intervals.

Dyspepsia causes discomfort or sharp pain in the gastric region in the upper section of the stomach.

"And when dyspepsia occurs, people should take medicine that suppresses gastric acid," he said, adding that fasting actually "reduced gastric acid levels" triggered by smoking and snacking habits.

He said that people should avoid gastric acid-inducing foods and beverages such as citric fruits, full cream milk and high carbohydrate foods like noodles and cassava.

However, those who suffer from chronic gastric illnesses such as serious stomach lesions should avoid fasting to avoid exacerbating their condition, he added.

Dr. Tri Juli Edi, a specialist in endocrinology, said the severity of a patient's diabetes influenced their ability to fast. Meal organization plays a part too, he said. (gzl)

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