Prakriti elucidates the inter-individual variability in coronary artery disease risk-predicting biomarkers: A tertiary care hospital-based case control study.

BACKGROUND

Several biochemical tests and biomarkers are well-known for the assessment of risk towards coronary artery disease (CAD). However, conflicting results pose a significant challenge probably due to phenotypic heterogeneity. In Ayurveda, individuals are classified into phenotypes- Prakriti, which helps in predicting an individual's susceptibility to disease, its prognosis and selection of therapy. In the present study, an attempt was made to overcome this challenge with an aim to identify the association between different constitution types as mentioned in Ayurveda with biochemical markers for precisely predicting the risks for CAD.

METHODS

200 clinically stable CAD patients and 100 healthy controls were recruited from the Cardiology OPD, AIIMS, New Delhi, India. A comprehensive set of tests to incorporate various aspects of CAD pathophysiology was performed. Assessment of Prakriti was done clinically and with AI/ML algorithm based validated questionnaire.

RESULTS

The monocyte-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), fasting blood sugar, urea, creatinine, uric acid, and NT-pro BNP were significantly higher in CAD patients as compared to healthy controls. Prakriti stratification revealed maximum number of patients with Kapha Prakriti. MLR and IL-6 (associated with inflammatory and peripheral endothelial dysfunction) were high in Vata patients; diabetic control (associated with plaque instability and malfunctioned RAAS) was poor in Kapha patients and NT-pro BNP (associated with myocardial hypoxia) was higher in Pitta patients.

CONCLUSION

Though, several biochemical parameters were associated with risks for CAD, Prakriti classification provided more insights into the precise risks. This dual approach may help in guiding personalized treatment options in CAD management.