Breaking the dependency cycle: A case report on successfully managed hemodialysis dependent chronic kidney disease with Ayurvedic treatment

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) affects 13.4 % of the global population. Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) needing kidney transplant surgery are estimated between 4.902 and 7.083 million globally as of 2019 in India, which remains unaffordable for most of the population. This case study highlights a CKD G5 male patient undergoing hemodialysis weekly twice for two months, previously advised for transplant. The patient approached P D Patel Ayurveda Hospital, Nadiad, India, for treatment. Presented with puffiness on the face, breathlessness, muscle cramps, appetite loss, bilateral pedal edema, and occasional nausea and vomiting. Before Ayurvedic treatment, his serum creatinine level remained 12 mg/dL even with hemodialysis twice a week, which has been reduced up to 2.1 mg/dL, and blood urea reduced significantly, hemoglobin increased from 9.7 gms% to 14 gms%, and eGFR increased from 5 mL/min per 1.73 m² to 34.8 mL/min per 1.73 m². After the treatment, the patient is asymptomatic. This improvement is stable even after discontinuing all the medications except antihypertensive for two years. Following the treatment, dialysis was completely stopped, and the patient no longer required hemodialysis or a kidney transplant. This case provides new insight into the potential of traditional Ayurvedic treatments to manage advanced CKD, offering a cost-effective alternative to dialysis and transplantation.