Weight-reducing diet therapy in the combined treatment of pulmonary sarcoidosis 

Ter Arkh. 1996;68(3):83-7 [Article in Russian]

Il'kovich MM,  Novikova LN, Baranova OP.

We have studied the effect of therapeutic fasting in 76 patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis (28, 45 and 3 patients with stage I, II and III, respectively). Fifty-two patients with PS stage I, II and minimal clinical symptoms received fasting alone. Twenty-four patients with PS stage II, III and frequent recurrences received combined treatment (fasting and oral corticosteroids). The efficacy of the treatment was evaluated by clinical symptoms, X-ray picture, pulmonary capillary blood flow and immunological parameters. We have found that therapeutic fasting reduced clinical symptoms in 85% of the patients, improved x-ray picture in 62% of the patients. Positive trend was also registered in immunological parameters. Therapeutic fasting produced maximal positive effect in patients with PS stage I, II and duration of the disease less than 1 year. Patients with PS stage II, III and the disease duration more than 1 year should be treated with fasting in combination with corticosteroids.