📄 Abstract
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) represent one of the major public-health challenges of the twenty-first century. Cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes account for the largest proportion of NCD mortality, while premature deaths disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries. The burden is closely associated with modifiable behavioural and metabolic risk factors, including unhealthy dietary patterns, physical inactivity, tobacco use, harmful alcohol consumption, overweight and obesity, raised blood pressure and impaired glucose regulation. This epidemiological pattern emphasizes the importance of prevention, early detection and sustained lifestyle modification alongside disease treatment. Ayurveda has a strong preventive orientation centred on preservation of health, appropriate food and lifestyle, physical activity, sleep, behavioural regulation and individualized approaches to health. Several of these principles have conceptual relevance to contemporary public-health approaches to NCD prevention. However, conceptual similarity between traditional and contemporary health frameworks should not be interpreted as evidence of clinical equivalence. Specific Ayurvedic interventions require evaluation through appropriate scientific methods. Available clinical evidence presents a mixed but potentially relevant picture. A systematic review and meta-analysis of Ayurvedic medicines for type 2 diabetes reported improvements in several glycaemic outcomes, while also identifying limitations in methodological reporting and adverse-event assessment. Studies conducted within an Indian integrated-care programme have reported improvements in glycaemic and blood-pressure outcomes, although their non-randomized or open-label designs limit causal interpretation. Meta-analyses of yoga interventions have reported favourable effects on several glycaemic parameters, but the evidence is predominantly based on relatively short-term outcomes. For hypertension, a recent systematic review and meta-analysis reported that Ayurvedic interventions demonstrated blood-pressure outcomes comparable to those observed with placebo or standard antihypertensive treatment, although further well-designed studies are warranted to better characterize their clinical effects. The World Health Organization's Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034 provides an important contemporary policy framework by emphasizing evidence generation, safety and regulation, appropriate integration into health systems and cross-sectoral collaboration. This article examines the global NCD burden and evaluates the potential relevance, evidence base, opportunities and limitations of Ayurveda within contemporary preventive public health. It proposes that the future role of Ayurveda should be evidence-led and complementary, with scientifically evaluated interventions integrated into preventive and healthcare systems where effectiveness, safety, quality and feasibility are demonstrated.
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📚 How to Cite:
Dr. Gunjan Mehra, Prof. (Dr.) Rakesh Kumar Verma , FROM GLOBAL NCD BURDEN TO PREVENTIVE ACTION: RELEVANCE OF AYURVEDA IN CONTEMPORARY PUBLIC HEALTH , Volume 12 , Issue 8, August 2026, EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (IJMR) , Pages: 1002 - 1009 ,