Religious fasting and intraocular pressure
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Purpose: To determine the effects of Islamic religious fasting on intraocular pressure. Methods: The authors measured diurnal intraocular pressure values during religious fasting and 1 month later in 38 healthy male volunteers with a mean age of 22.4 +/- 2.7 years. Body weight and urine specific gravity were determined to assess the extent of dehydration caused by fasting. Results: Although each patient had weight loss (0.1-1.4 kg) representing a slight dehydration caused by fasting, intraocular pressure values were not statistically different between fasting and nonfasting periods (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Fasting did not alter diurnal intraocular pressure values in healthy people.