Prevalence of anemia among pregnant women and adolescent girls in 16 districts of India.

BACKGROUND: Nutritional anemia is one of India's major public health problems. The prevalence of anemia ranges from 33% to 89% among pregnant women and is more than 60% among adolescent girls. Under the anemia prevention and control program of the Government of India, iron and folic acid tablets are distributed to pregnant women, but no such program exists for adolescent girls. OBJECTIVE: To assess the status of anemia among pregnant women and adolescent girls from 16 districts of 11 states of India. METHODS: A two-stage random sampling method was used to select 30 clusters on the basis of probability proportional to size. Anemia was diagnosed by estimating the hemoglobin concentration in the blood with the use of the indirect cyanmethemoglobin method. RESULTS: The survey data showed that 84.9% of pregnant women (n = 6,923) were anemic (hemoglobin < 110 g/L); 13.1% had severe anemia (hemoglobin < 70 g/L), and 60.1% had moderate anemia (hemoglobin > or = 70 to 100 g/L). Among adolescent girls (n = 4,337)from 16 districts, the overall prevalence of anemia (defined as hemoglobin < 120 g/L) was 90.1%, with 7.1% having severe anemia (hemoglobin < 70 g/L). CONCLUSIONS: Any intervention strategy for this population must address not only the problem of iron deficiency, but also deficiencies of other micronutrients, such as B12 and folic acid and other possible causal factors.

Treatment of relapsed undifferentiated acute myeloid leukemia (AML-M0) with Ayurvedic therapy.

A 16-year-old boy was detected with acute myeloid leukemia (AML - M0) with bone marrow pathology showing 85% blasts in February 07, 1997. He received two cycles of induction chemotherapy (3+7 protocol) with daunomycin and cytosar, following which he achieved incomplete remission with bone marrow aspirate showing 14% blasts. Subsequently, the patient received two cycles of high-dose cytosine arabinoside Ara-C and achieved remission. However, his disease relapsed on August 29, 1997. Peripheral blood smear showed 6% blast cells and bone marrow showed 40% blast cells. The patient refused further chemotherapy and/or bone marrow transplant and volunteered for Ayurvedic therapy (AYT) advocated by the author from September 09, 1997. Bone marrow studies done after six months of AYT indicated that the disease was in remission. The AYT was continued for five years and stopped. Thereafter, the patient received intermittent maintenance AYT for three months in the next two years. At present, the patient is normal and healthy and has completed 12 years of disease-free survival with AYT.

Herbo-mineral ayurvedic treatment in a high risk acute promyelocytic leukemia patient with second relapse: 12 years follow up.

A 47 year old diabetic male patient was diagnosed and treated for high risk AML-M3 at Tata Memorial Hospital (BJ 17572), Mumbai in September 1995. His bone marrow aspiration cytology indicated 96% promyelocytes with abnormal forms, absence of lymphocytic series and myeloperoxide test 100% positive. Initially treated with ATRA, he achieved hematological remission on day 60, but cytogenetically the disease persisted. The patient received induction and consolidated chemotherapy with Daunorubicin and Cytarabine combination from 12.01.96 to 14.05.96, following which he achieved remission. However, his disease relapsed in February 97. The patient was given two cycles of chemotherapy with Idarubicine and Etoposide, after which he achieved remission. His disease again relapsed in December 97. The patient then refused more chemotherapy and volunteered for a pilot Ayurvedic study conducted by the Central Council for Research in Ayurveda and Siddha, New Delhi. The patient was treated with a proprietary Ayurvedic medicine Navajeevan, Kamadudha Rasa and Keharuba Pisti for one year. For the subsequent 5 years the patient received three months of intermittent Ayurvedic treatment every year. The patient achieved complete disease remission with the alternative treatment without any adverse side effects. The patient has so far completed 13 years of survival after the start of Ayurvedic therapy.

Response to Ayurvedic therapy in the treatment of migraine without aura.

Migraine patients who do not respond to conventional therapy, develop unacceptable side-effects, or are reluctant to take medicines resort to complementary and alternative medicines (CAM). Globally, patients have been seeking various non-conventional modes of therapy for the management of their headaches. An Ayurvedic Treatment Protocol (AyTP) comprising five Ayurvedic medicines, namely Narikel Lavan, Sootshekhar Rasa, Sitopaladi Churna, Rason Vati and Godanti Mishran along with regulated diet and lifestyle modifications such as minimum 8 h sleep, 30-60 min morning or evening walk and abstention from smoking/drinking, was tried for migraine treatment. The duration of the therapy was 90 days. Out of 406 migraine patients who were offered this AyTP, 204 patients completed 90 days of treatment. Complete disappearance of headache and associated symptoms at completion of AyTP was observed in 72 (35.2%); mild episode of headache without need of any conventional medicines in 72 (35.2%); low intensity of pain along with conventional medicines in 50 (24.5%); no improvement in seven (3.4%) and worst pain was noted in three (1.4%) patients, respectively. In 144 (70.5%) of patients marked reduction of migraine frequency and pain intensity observed may be because of the AyTP. Though the uncontrolled open-label design of this study does not allow us to draw a definite conclusion, from this observational study we can make a preliminary assessment regarding the effectiveness of this ayurvedic treatment protocol.