Abstract / Summary
Background: Agni is one of the fundamental concepts of Ayurveda and is considered essential for digestion, transformation and maintenance of physiological homeostasis. Contemporary metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance are characterized by impaired metabolic responsiveness to insulin and frequently precede clinically apparent type 2 diabetes mellitus. Although Agni has traditionally been considered an important determinant of health and disease, objective clinical correlation between Ayurvedic assessment of Agni and modern metabolic indices remains inadequately explored. Objective: The present study was designed in two phases: first, to investigate the relationship between Ayurvedic Agni status and insulin resistance in adults; and second, to conduct a pilot clinical intervention in participants. demonstrating impaired Agni with metabolic risk. Materials and Methods: The study was planned as a two-phase investigation. In Phase I, adults aged 25–55 years were assessed for Agni using a standardized Agni Assessment Scale together with anthropometric and biochemical parameters including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, fasting plasma glucose, fasting serum insulin, HbA1c, triglycerides and HDL cholesterol. HOMA-IR was calculated from fasting glucose and insulin values. Phase II consisted of a prospective pilot intervention in participants with impaired Agni and elevated metabolic risk. The intervention consisted of individualized Nidana Parivarjana, Agni-oriented dietary regulation, prescribed physical activity and a standardized Ayurvedic Deepana-Pachana intervention. Results: Illustrative pilot data set: In a hypothetical cohort of 60 participants, impaired Agni was expected to demonstrate a positive association with BMI, waist circumference, fasting insulin and HOMA-IR. In the proposed 20-participant pilot intervention, mean HOMA-IR was modeled to decrease from 3.42 ± 0.91 at baseline to 2.71 ± 0.78 after 12 weeks, while mean Agni impairment score improved from 18.6 ± 3.2 to 12.4 ± 3.5. These values are presented solely to demonstrate the intended statistical presentation and must not be represented as actual clinical observations. Conclusion: The proposed two-phase methodology provides a potentially useful framework for investigating the relationship between an Ayurvedic diagnostic construct and a measurable modern metabolic phenotype. Establishing a reproducible relationship between Agni and insulin resistance could contribute to the objective validation and clinical application of Ayurvedic diagnostic principles.