An Ayurveda-based intervention involving elderly people in Haryana’s Faridabad was associated with improvements in quality-of-life scores, bone mineral density and measures of cognitive health, according to a project report by a Central Ministry’s Delhi-based autonomous body, All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA). The findings were presented at a workshop at AIIA on October 24, and the report was submitted to an expert committee for further action.
The programme screened 5,594 people aged 60–80 years over three months and provided them with Ayurvedic medicines. A separate component focused on 200 people screened for dementia, who received Ayurveda-based medicines over four months.
In the first component, participants’ scores on the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) assessment rose from 292 to 326.3 after a 60-day intervention, as per the report. It also recorded improvements across six parameters used to assess Agnibala, an Ayurvedic concept associated with digestive and metabolic strength, along with an improvement in bone mineral density.
In the dementia-focused component, scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) shifted towards normal levels, while the 6-CIT assessment indicated signs of improved cognitive performance. Quality-of-life scores rose from 277.4 to 364.2. The report also recorded changes in levels of serotonin, acetylcholine (ACh), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and vitamin D.
The initial screening highlighted several health concerns among the elderly participants. Vision-related problems were reported in 67.73%, physical inactivity in 43.05% and reduced cognitive function in 6.85%. Other concerns included high blood pressure, elevated random blood glucose levels, reduced bone mineral density, constipation and sleep-related problems.
The project, titled “Community-Based Ayurveda Intervention for Promotion of Physical and Mental Health in Elderly Population of Faridabad District, Haryana State", was conducted under AIIA’s Public Health Initiative (PHI). It aimed to examine community-level Ayurveda interventions and approaches to promoting healthy ageing.
Dr. Koustubha Upadhyaya, Advisor to the Ministry of Ayush emphasised the importance of meaningful social engagement with elderly people to better understand their needs. He also highlighted the need to encourage older adults to participate in physical and mental activities and called for greater investment in such initiatives to improve health outcomes.
Prof. (Vaidya) Pradeep Kumar Prajapati, Director of AIIA, too stressed the importance of systematically studying experiences with community-based Ayurveda healthcare services and disseminating the findings widely.
He also called for extending such initiatives to more elderly people and emphasised the role of the joint family system in providing older adults with care, support and emotional well-being.
The workshop also featured contributions from Dr. Suneela Garg, Director Professor and Head of the Department of Community Medicine at Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi; Dr. Suman Ray, Senior Principal Scientist at the CSIR–National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (NIScPR); and Dr. Lokesh Singh Shekhawat, Professor of Psychiatry at Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.
During the occasion, a book titled ‘Holistic Approach for Healthy Ageing' was also released. Prof. (Dr.) Manjusha Rajagopala, Dean (DU); Prof. (Dr.) Mahesh Vyas, Dean (Ph.D.); Prof. (Dr.) R. K. Yadav, Dean (PG); and Prof. (Dr.) Yogesh Badwe, Medical Superintendent, along with other faculty members of the institute, were among those present on the occasion.
