GORGING AND PLASMA HDL-CHOLESTEROL - THE RAMADAN MODEL

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of a single evening meal (gorging) on plasma lipids and lipoproteins in normal individuals observing the Ramadan Fast. During the Ramadan month, Muslims refrain from food and liquids during the day and eat a large meal after sundown. Design: Seq uential measurement of plasma lipids and lipoproteins in Muslims obser ving the Ramadan Fast and non-fasting individuals. Setting: The study was conducted in the Bedouin town of Rahat, in the northern Negev area of Israel. Subjects: Twenty-two healthy subjects who fasted during Ra madan and 16 non-fasting laboratory workers, were studied before Ramad an, at week 1, 2 and 4 of the Ramadan month, and again four weeks afte r the end of Ramadan. Results: Plasma high-density lipoprotein cholest erol (HDL) rose significantly (P < 0.001) at the week 4 measurement, r eturning to basal levels 4 weeks after the end of Ramadan. Total chole sterol (TC), triglycerides (TG, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (L DL), very-low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL), and lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] did not change significantly. Conclusions: Plasma HDL incr eased by 23% after four weeks of gorging. The dietary change did not a ffect the composition of other lipoproteins, such as LDL, VLDL or Lp(a ), other plasma biochemical parameters, or BMI. Prolonged gorging, wel l tolerated by all individuals, is a very effective non-pharmacologica l method to increase plasma HDL-cholesterol.