Integrative Ayurvedic management of chronic kidney disease stage V: A case study on therapeutic efficacy and patient outcomes

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a growing global health issue, with a notable rise in prevalence across all age groups, including younger individuals. Standard management strategies, such as dialysis and renal transplantation, are often inaccessible to many in India due to financial constraints, underscoring the need for affordable, alternative approaches that ensure better health outcomes. CKD is a progressive condition primarily caused by hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus. It typically remains asymptomatic in its early stages but later manifests with symptoms such as pedal edema, reduced appetite, nausea, dysuria or oliguria, foamy urine, fatigue and general weakness. Diagnostic evaluations reveal elevated serum creatinine and urea levels, reflecting renal dysfunction. A 65-year-old male with stage V CKD, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes presented with multiple symptoms, including shortness of breath, lower limb pain, numbness in the soles, gastric disturbances, burning micturition, nocturia, first-degree pedal edema, constipation, backache, cough, disturbed sleep and generalized weakness. Treated at Jeena Sikho Lifecare Ltd. Hospital, Derabassi, Punjab, the patient demonstrated significant improvement in symptoms and laboratory parameters, including near-normalization of serum creatinine and urea levels by integrated Ayurveda management. The administration of integrative Ayurvedic therapies, including Chander Vati, Mutravardhak Vati, Chandraprabha Vati, Dhatuposhak Vati, and Asthiposhak Vati, demonstrated significant efficacy in alleviating CKD-related symptoms and improving renal function. This case highlights the potential of Ayurvedic interventions as a viable approach for enhancing clinical outcomes and the quality of life in CKD patients, particularly in resource-constrained settings.