The All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi, has reported encouraging findings from a community-based Ayurveda programme conducted in Faridabad district, Haryana, to promote the physical and mental health of elderly people.
According to the project findings, improvements were recorded in quality of life, Agnibala and bone mineral density following the intervention. Positive changes were also observed in cognitive health assessments, along with improvements in selected biomarkers, including serotonin, acetylcholine, DHEA and vitamin D. The findings were presented at a workshop held at AIIA on October 24, and the project report was submitted to an expert committee.
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. In addition, under a separate component focused on dementia, 200 patients were screened and provided with Ayurveda-based medicines over four months. Titled "Community-Based Ayurveda Intervention for Promotion of Physical and Mental Health in Elderly Population of Faridabad District, Haryana State," the project aimed to study the potential of community-level Ayurveda-based interventions and assess approaches to promoting healthy ageing.
The initial assessment identified several health challenges among the elderly participants. These included vision-related problems in 67.73% of participants, 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.