Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2004; 9: 18
To summarise and critically assess the scientific evidence for Ayurvedic interventions (mainly phytotherapeutical) in hyperlipidemia, bronchial asthma and type 2 diabetes.
Systematic review of any scientific evidence from RCTs, non-RCTs and outcome studies (OSs) assessing the effectiveness or potential effects of Ayurvedic interventions. Searches were made of electronic databases, by hand-searching of references and consultation of Ayurvedic experts. The methodological quality was assessed by JADAD scores and post-hoc power analyses.
In total 28 RCTs (13 hyperlipidemia, eight bronchial asthma, seven diabetes), 14 non-RCTs and 76 OSs were identified. More than 80% of the studies were positive. 10 RCTs had JADAD scores of 3 or more points and 66% of all diabetes trials had a sufficient power of at least 90%. The best evidence is available for Commiphora mukul (hyperlipidemia), Tylophora indica (bronchial asthma), Coccinia indica, Gymnema sylvestre and Trigonella foenum graecum (type 2 diabetes).
There is some evidence for the effectiveness of Ayurvedic interventions, especially in type 2 diabetes, but also in hyperlipidemia and, least, in asthma. As the methodological quality of most trials is poor, final conclusions cannot yet be drawn although the power analyses indicate that beneficial effects are likely. The majority of studies assessed only phythotherapeutic efficacy; as traditional Ayurvedic approaches are always multimodal it still remains an open question whether the Ayurvedic approach itself is a valuable tool for modern medicine.
