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Research on Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)
At the turn of the 21 st century, the primary cause of mortality and disability in industrialized nations is cardiovascular disease (CVD). Based on current estimates, by the year 2020, CVD will be the primary cause of death worldwide, as the living standards of the developing nations rise and their populations adopt the “Western lifestyle” (Davidson, 2002). “An increase in the CVD burden is predicted because of the aging of the population and the persistence of unhealthy lifestyles such as smoking, overeating, and low levels of physical activity” (Bairey Merz, 2002). In the past 30 years considerable progress has occurred in the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases. The focus of primary prevention is on the reduction of CVD risk factors, such as hypertension, high cholesterol levels, diabetes, etc..
Dr. Erika Helene is one of the first scientists that used four modalities of Ayurvedic Medicine in conjunction with standard modern medical therapies to treat patients with documented heart disease. The four modalities included: meditation, yoga exercises, individualized dietary, and herbal recommendations. After an intervention period of nine months the experimental group showed a greater decrease in atherosclerosis than the control group. For more information, please read the abstract for this research study .