New Delhi, Oct 27 (IANS) A community-based Ayurveda intervention conducted by the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in Haryana’s Faridabad recorded improvements in quality of life, Agnibala and bone mineral density, an official statement said on Tuesday.
Positive changes were also observed in cognitive health assessments, along with improvements in selected biomarkers, including serotonin, acetylcholine, DHEA and vitamin D, the statement from Ayush ministry said.
Under its Public Health Initiative (PHI), AIIA screened 5,594 people aged 60–80 years in Faridabad district over three months and provided them with Ayurvedic medicines. Further, 200 patients were screened under a separate component focused on dementia, and they were provided with Ayurveda-based medicines over four months.
The findings were presented at a workshop held at AIIA and the project report has been submitted to an expert committee.
In the first component of the project, improvements in quality of life were recorded following a 60-day intervention. The total score on the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) assessment increased from 292.0 to 326.3.
Improvements were also observed across all six parameters used to assess Agnibala, an Ayurvedic concept associated with digestive and metabolic strength.
The initial assessment identified several health challenges among the elderly participants such as vision-related problems in 67.73 per cent of participants, physical inactivity in 43.05 per cent and reduced cognitive function in 6.85 per cent.
Other concerns included high blood pressure, elevated random blood glucose levels, reduced bone mineral density, constipation and sleep-related problems.
The ministry said that more extensive scientific evaluation, continued safety monitoring and further studies are necessary to validate the findings and establish the effectiveness and safety of these interventions.
The All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi, is an autonomous institution under the Ayush ministry that aims to advance Ayurveda through education, research, clinical services and public health initiatives.
–IANS
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