Observational studies
Adverse events in a supervised water-only fasting program
Is fasting safe? A chart review of adverse events during medically supervised, water-only fasting
Published
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Fasting Free source summary: https://fastingfree.com/education/finnell-2018-water-only-safety/
PLAIN-LANGUAGE SUMMARY
What it found
Most recorded events were mild or moderate; two visits involved hospitalization, for dehydration and hyponatremia. A grade-3 event was the highest grade in 212 visits.
Keep these limits in view
Selected visits, incomplete laboratory data and retrospective records cannot establish safety at home. Report counts: the article’s printed 0.002% for 2 of 768 visits is inconsistent with the arithmetic (approximately 0.26%, calculated).
Understand the context
- Evidence type
- Retrospective observational chart review; no randomized comparison
- Population or scope
- Adults selected for a residential fasting program with clinical supervision
- Sample or coverage
- 768 qualifying visits from 652 patients
- Study duration or data period
- Fasts ranged from 2–41 days; median 7 days; analysis included supervised refeeding
- Comparison
- Recorded events during qualifying visits, without a control group.
- Measured outcomes
- Adverse-event type and severity; hospitalizations.
Research terms in this source
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