Adjuvant Ayurvedic Management in Coronary Artery Disease with Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction.

Abstract

This case study presents a 59-year-old obese, hypertensive female with a 10-year history of Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction and Coronary Artery Disease, presenting with associated symptoms including mild to moderate body aches, pain in the left ankle, and insomnia. Diagnosed with Vataj Hridroga according to Ayurvedic principles, the patient underwent a 14-day inpatient Ayurvedic treatment regimen, followed by 16 weeks of outpatient oral Ayurvedic medications, alongside her existing modern medical prescriptions. The inpatient regimen included daily Panchakarma therapies: Abhyanga and Nadi Swedana for pain and edema; Shirodhara was administered for insomnia. Oral medications, including Simhanada Guggulu, Ajmodadi Churna, Dashmoola Kwatha, and Bramhi Vati, were prescribed. The integrative strategy involved close monitoring by both Ayurvedic and modern medicine physicians, allowing for necessary adjustments to contemporary medication. Significant improvements in the symptoms were observed: leg pain reduced from a baseline score of 6 to 1 by day 16 and resolved by week 16; grade 2 edema resolved by day 16; and insomnia improved, evidenced by a reduction in Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score from 16/21 at baseline to 9/21 by both day 16 and week 26. This report highlights the adjunctive role of Ayurvedic interventions in managing associated symptoms in a complex patient with CMVD and CAD, along with relevant risk factors. This protocol emphasizes the strategic integration of Ayurvedic Panchakarma and oral treatments with contemporary medical therapies. Further rigorous research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms of action and assess the effectiveness of such integrative approaches combining Ayurveda with conventional medicine, particularly in cardiac disorders.