Tell Me Why Parkinson's patients can fast during Ramadan

For years, Parkinson’s patients have been advised not to fast during Ramadan. The latest episode of Gulf News’ vodcast Tell Me Why addresses the issue and unpacks a breakthrough.

In this special episode Dr Vinod Metta, Director of Movement Disorders and Parkinson’s Near-Rehab and Consultant Neurology at King’s College Hospital London Dubai, joins Parkinson’s patient and host Nadine Khalifeh and Huzaifa Ibrahim, Founder of Friends of Parkinson’s UAE, to explain how, with the right medical guidance, Parkinson’s patients can fast safely during Ramadan.

Parkinson’s is caused by a depletion of dopamine in the brain, a chemical essential for smooth movement. Unlike medicines for conditions such as blood pressure or cholesterol, Parkinson’s drugs act for only a few hours. Patients often need multiple doses spread evenly across the day to prevent severe stiffness, immobility, falls and even complications that can mimic a stroke. Missing doses during long fasting hours has therefore been considered dangerous.

Both Khalifeh and Ibrahim share how deeply this restriction affected them. That lived experience became the catalyst for change. Ibrahim and Khalifeh asked a simple but powerful question: if patients with diabetes or cancer can fast with structured plans, why not Parkinson’s patients? Under Dr Metta’s leadership, a UAE-based, multi-centre study was launched during Ramadan, bringing together Parkinson’s patients of different ages, stages and nationalities.

The science behind the new guidelines focuses on dopamine conversion. Instead of frequent short-acting tablets, doctors calculated equivalent doses using controlled-release medications, patches and other delivery systems that provide steadier dopamine levels during fasting hours.

Patients were monitored using advanced wearable technology, known as the Parkinson’s Watch, which tracks motor fluctuations, sleep and dopamine patterns in real time. Data collected before, during and after Ramadan confirmed that carefully adjusted regimens could keep patients stable.

The result is the Ramadan guidelines for Parkinson’s patients, developed in the UAE and now accessible globally.