Translational Cardiovascular Applications of Ayurveda

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease remains the single largest cause of mortality in European populations, with ischaemic heart disease, stroke, heart failure, and related cardiovascular conditions together accounting for approximately 40% of adult deaths. Conventional cardiovascular medicine has achieved remarkable progress over the past three decades through statin-based lipid management, renin-angiotensin system targeting, antiplatelet therapy, and interventional procedures, with mortality reductions of approximately 40% across major cardiovascular disease categories. Despite this progress, substantial residual risk remains even with optimal conventional management, and integrative interventions addressing residual risk have clinical space. Ayurvedic medicine has classical clinical frameworks for what modern practice recognises as cardiovascular conditions, with Hridya (cardiotonic) categories describing specific herbs and integrated protocols for cardiovascular health. Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna) is the best-characterised Ayurvedic cardiovascular intervention, with documented clinical effects across heart failure and ischaemic heart disease contexts. This study reviews 54 primary clinical and translational studies published between 2012 and 2022, grouped under five frames: CV1 (hypertension management integrative protocols), CV2 (dyslipidaemia and lipid management), CV3 (Arjuna and cardioprotective herbal interventions), CV4 (metabolic syndrome cardiovascular risk management), and CV5 (integrated cardiovascular risk reduction protocols). Each frame was scored with the Translational Cardiovascular Ayurveda Index (TCAI). Integrated cardiovascular risk reduction protocols (CV5) scored highest at TCAI 0.824, with Arjuna and cardioprotective interventions (CV3) at 0.810 and hypertension management (CV1) at 0.786.