Disease prevention: PGIMER experts call for integrated research in traditional, modern medicine
A seminar was held on ‘Hypertension: Prevention and management’ at the institute on Saturday
Experts of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) have pitched for the integration of Indian systems of medicine (ISM) such as ayurveda and yoga with modern medicine to boost research activities in the field.
Dr Sonu Goel of community health medicine, who was speaking during a seminar on ‘Hypertension: Prevention and management’, said the integration is not only important at clinical level but also in the field of research and data generation. “Integration is important so that solid evidence can be generated at local level to show how an integrated approach can help in the prevention of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes,” he said. The event was conducted by the department of community medicine and school of public health, PGIMER, in collaboration with the department of internal medicine.
DISCUSSION ON MGMT OF HYPERTENSION
Experts from different departments of PGIMER, including the school of community medicine and public health, internal medicine, cardiology, nephrology, ophthalmology, neurology and dietetics discussed hypertension, its prevention and methods to manage it.
Editor-in-chief of integrative medicine case reports and a PGIMER faculty member, Dr Akshay Anand, said, “China has incorporated traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in its educational and healthcare programmes. India should also buckle up for evidence-based incorporation of yoga and mindfulness in the modern healthcare system.”
He said the process requires the use of molecular tools and induction of faculty concerned as well as a special system in place, starting from the creation of the dean’s post for the same. “Studies have shown positive results as far as the risk reduction of hypertension is concerned. A protocol for yoga for hypertension being developed by Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana can be used for Punjab,” he said.
“On the local level, when the disease burden is growing despite technological advancement, we need to generate comparative evidence for yoga as a tool for prevention and therapy. This is not possible without a separate department for yogic biosciences,” Dr Anand said.
Hypertension or high blood pressure has emerged one of the most common non-communicable diseases (NCD) in India.
35.7% HYPERTENSION PATIENTS FROM PUNJAB ALONE
According to the district-level health survey conducted from 2012 to 2013, Punjab solely contributes to 35.7% of the national population reeling under the trauma of hypertension, which is above the total figure standing at 25.3%. As per a non-communicable disease risk factor survey done from 2017-18 and based on the World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) STEPwise approach to surveillance, among all people suffering with hypertension in the state, only 30.1% cases were known or underwent treatment. Among them, nearly 61% had controlled blood pressure and patients with uncontrolled blood pressure were more frequently male, obese, those having a sedentary lifestyle and patients with diabetes, the survey revealed.
