Epidemic of Non-communicable Disease (NCD’S) eg. Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), Hypertension, Diabetes, Obesity, Cancer etc has been and continuing to be a challenge all over the world especially in Asian Indians. In India a 300% increase in CAD prevalence was observed from 1970-2000 with working young population being hit the hardest. According to recent estimate 2015 approximately 62 million people are suffering from CAD in India with almost equal number of cases suffering from silent CAD. Out of 62 million 36 million are below the age of 50 years. 2.9 million die each year due to CAD and out of which 1.5 million year death are below the age of 50 years.
The global increase in prevalence of CAD and other NCD’S (obesity, Hypertension, Diabetes, Cancer, COPD etc) is attributed to population growth, aging, urbanization, physical inactivity, changes in dietary pattern and ever-increasing mental stress.
Medical scientists all over the world have been working hard, day in and day out, to find out, the real cause of CAD. Recently, many well designed studies the world over, have shown that the psychological behavior patterns e.g. type A behavior (person with hurry sickness, feels pressurized by time, work, his own likes and dislikes, perfectionist, aggressive, competitive, polyphasic (performing various tasks at the same time) anxiety, depression, anger, sensitive and emotional behavior, feeling of isolation, lack of social support, lack of emotional support, cynicism, hostility, job stress and family stress play very important role in causation and progression of coronary blockages & formation of clots which in turn lead to angina and heart attacks. These psychological behavioral patterns also lead to wrong dietary habits, wrong exercise habits, wrong sleeping habits and poor control of conventional risk factors of CAD e.g. hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol levels, over-weight, smoking habit etc thereby these coronary blockages start increasing by leaps and bounds at an early age.
We, at J. Watumull Global Hospital and Research Centre, Prajapita Brahma Kumari Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya, Mount Abu in collaboration with Defense Institute of Physiology and Allied sciences (DRDO), New Delhi have developed a unique user-friendly “Three-Dimensional Healthcare Program for Healthy Heart, Happy Mind & Healthy Body” to combat the menace of epidemic of NCD’S including CAD.
To evaluate the efficacy of the friendly 3-Dimensional Healthcare Model for Healthy Mind, Heart & Body, two multidisciplinary, prospective, randomized and controlled study studies, Mount Abu Open Heart Trial, and Abu Healthy Heart Trial in 518 CAD patients were started in February 1998 and May 2000 respectively. The subjects were angiographically documented CAD patients who were also suffering from various other lifestyle related disorders. Psychologists, physiologists, endocrinologists, cardiologists, clinicians, dietitians, fitness experts and spiritualists worked hand in hand for more than 25 years. We, at J. Watumull Global Hospital and Research Centre, Prajapita Brahma Kumari Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya, Abu, collaborated with Defense Institute of Physiology and Allied sciences (DRDO), New Delhi. This project was sponsored by CCRYN, Ministry of Health and Family welfare, Govt. of India, New Delhi and Defense Research & Development Organization, New Delhi.
The 3-Dimensional Healthcare model was put to test with very positive, encouraging, and remarkable results which have baffled health experts and patients alike. More than 10,000 Angiographically documented Coronary Heart patients could regress their coronary blockages as per program adherence. The pumping power of the heart (LVEF), which was thought to be an irreversible damage after a heart attack, improved significantly. All this was documented by repeat 2D Color Doppler Echocardiography and repeat angiography. The results of univariate analysis in these patients indicate that the angiographic changes were attributable to the decrease in weight, triglycerides, diet, exercise schedule and management of psychosocial stressors through Rajyoga Meditation. The multivariate analysis showed that the independent predictors of CAD regression were not change in weight and lipid parameters as such, but the management of psychosocial stressors through Rajyoga Meditation. The Rajyoga Meditation also motivated CAD patients to adhere more to the healthy diet, exercise, treatment schedules and smoking cessation.
There were multiple other benefits in terms of improved diabetic control with less medication, better control of blood pressure, highly significant decrease in body weight & BMI (obesity/overweight), relief from bronchial asthma, migraine, arthritis, depression, insomnia, anxiety and many other conditions. 93% CAD patients could open their blocks in the Interventional group as compared to only 13.5 % in the control group. There was a total positive gain in overall wellbeing experienced by patients. During the study, the largest data set of its kind was collected on various parameters of the human body (viz: psychological, hormonal, glycemic control, Serum Lipid profile, 2 D ECHO (Color Doppler) repeat Coronary angiography etc.
Results from the present study suggest that CAD patients can be motivated to adopt the 3D Healthcare Model for a fairly long period of eight years of follow-up, while performing their routine activities outside the hospital framework. This program was found to be user-friendly, safe, flexible, and compatible with other treatments in the setting of advanced CAD, with a high degree of compliance. The primary end-point of this study was change in percent diameter stenosis. In patients with most adherence the average percent diameter stenosis decreased by 18.23 absolute percentage points (29.03% relative improvement), and in patients with medium adherence it decreased by 11.85 absolute percentage points (19.10% relative improvement), but it progressed in patients with least adherence. Cardiac events were also markedly decreased in patients with most adherence compared to patients with least adherence. However, more than 50% adherence to the prescribed 3D Healthcare Model is essential to achieve significant regression in percent diameter stenosis and in the number of cardiac events.
The 3D Healthcare Model could modify psychosocial factors by significantly reducing anxiety, depression, anger and type A behaviour scores, improvement in healthy lifestyle and overall sense of well-being. The modification of psychosocial factors was reflected in better adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviour like cessation of smoking, adherence to prescribed diet and exercise schedules On physiological analysis of these CAD patients through EEG, it was observed that patients who were found to have dominance of beta rhythm (13 – 40 Hz ) on day one, changed to dominance of alpha/theta rhythm (4 – 10 Hz – peaceful and loveful rhythm ) on day seven of 3 D Healthcare program. It has been observed that brain rhythm corresponds to number of thoughts in a minute. Normally a person, on an average has 35, 000 thoughts per day, it can be reduced to less than 8,000 thoughts per day within 7 days of practice of Rajyoga Meditation.
Favorable highly significant changes were observed in NYHA function class, angina severity and frequency, drug score, and exercise tolerance by day 7 which were further favorably modified at different stages of follow up. The long-term reduction in NYHA functional class, nitrate requirement, and increased exercise tolerance is at par with what is achieved following coronary angioplasty or bypass surgery.
Mount Abu Open Heart Trial was published in Sept. 2011 in Indian Heart Journal. Over the last 3 years this study has become the most read and cited article by researchers and the medical fraternity as was informed to us by Biomedlib.com (domain of article 23550427) that this “Mount Abu Open Heart Trial” stands as Number One amongst the top 20 research articles in this category.
From the study we learnt that when a human being looses soul consciousness and is trapped in material consciousness, his mind gets effected by lifes’ situations - favorable or adverse. Eventually inner peace and happiness are lost. This effects everything; food habits, daily routines, exercise, social & familial harmony, all get changed for the worse and eventually the person is affected by multitude of psychosomatic illnesses. The dis-ease manifests in the Psyche (mind) takes hold of the Soma (Body).
The Dis-ease, which has taken hold of the body in turn affects the Mind and the Soul. A person is caught in a vicious circle of stress, irritation, anger, worry, sadness and fear, from which it is impossible to escape. Not only does it affect the individual, but also the family and society, and not to mention the loss of efficiency at work which translates into significant economic loss to the nation.
In this research we found that when a human being is given support of spirituality, he is able to turn from “Role/Material Consciousness” to “Soul Consciousness”. One is able to gain back a control over his life, and tackle all that life throws at him without losing peace. He is empowered and in turn empowers those around him by being an example.
The 3 D Healthcare Model is an user friendly way to address all the three aspects of human being, spiritual, mental, and physical, thereby providing complete health of mind and body. More than 25 years of experiments with thousands of patients suffering from various mental and physical disorders has shown that it is compatible with modern healthcare and is able to provide relief and comfort to patients suffering from any disease of mind and physical body, especially all the non-communicable diseases.