Ayurveda diabetes drug helps cut down heart attack risk

In a big push for the “Make in India” initiative of the Modi government, an ayurveda drug developed by CSIR for diabetes has earned recognition at an international stage for its additional benefits in reducing chances of heart attacks among sugar patients.

This is probably for the first time that a study on any Indian herbal- based drug has been published in a global publication like the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine.

The study published last month noted that ayurvedic drug, BGR- 34, a composition of Indian herbs has been found to be effective in cutting down heart attack by 50 per cent in diabetics.

The clinical trial of BGR34, conducted as per the Indian Council of Medical Research ( ICMR) guidelines, found that the level of glycosylated haemoglobin ( red blood cells ( RBCs), to which glucose is bound, of at least half of the 56 patients who had participated in the test in a Delhi hospital was also under control.

According to Sanchit Sharma, executive director of AIMIL Pharma that markets CSIR’s BGR- 34 drug, “The recognition by the international journal is sure to boost the reputation and reach of BGR- 34 in the global market.”

Launched two years ago, BGR- 34 releases 34 active phytoconstituents in a diabetic’s body that help manage the sugar level in blood.

The study published in Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine noted that though there are many allopathic drugs which have been found effective in controlling blood glucose level, these were not preventive enough to prevent all the complications of diabetes.

Mr Sharma said that BGR- 34, marketed by Delhi- based AIMIL Pharma, is based on six main herbal plants, daruharidra, giloy, vijaysar, gudmar, manjeestha and methi, which have been found to be very effective in controlling diabetes. “In fact, even allopathic practitioners are prescribing the drug,” he said.

According to the official WHO data, India tops the list of countries with the highest number of diabetics followed by China, America, Indonesia, Japan, Pakistan, Russia, Brazil, Italy and Bangladesh. From 31.7 million in 2000, diabetes cases are expected to rise by more than 100 per cent in the year 2030 to account to a whopping 79.4 million.