A SINGLE ARM NON-RANDOMISED STUDY ON THE COMBINED EFFECTOF PUNARNAVADI YOGA AND RUDRAKSHA LEHANA INGARBHAVASTHAJANYA UCHCHA RAKTA CHAPA VIS-A-VIS GESTATIONAL HYPERTENSION

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy occur in about 10% of all pregnant women around the world.

Preeclampsia is a complication of gestational hypertension which affects 3–5% of pregnancies. In Asia and

Africa, nearly one tenth of all maternal deaths are associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. In India,

the incidence of preeclampsia is reported to be 8%-10% among the pregnant women. According to a study, the

prevalence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy was 7.8% with preeclampsia in 5.4% of the study population

in India. 1 Young and nulliparous women are particularly vulnerable to developing preeclampsia, whereas older

women are at greater risk for chronic hypertension with superimposed preeclampsia. The incidence is markedly

influenced by race and ethnicity—and thus by genetic predisposition.

Diseases of pregnant woman due to foetus are called as ‘Garbhopadrava’  or ‘Garbhini vyadhi’ in

Ayurveda. Garbhini shotha (oedema) is one of the Garbhopadrava mentioned in our Ayurvedic classics.

Oedema of pregnancy may be of different origin.  Ayurveda has described ‘Garbha Sampidana ’  as a causative

factor of Shotha (oedema) of pregnancy. Shotha is one of the symptoms in gestational hypertension. As there is

no actual description of garbhavasthajanya uchcha raktachapa in our Ayurvedic classics, the same has been

used as a coined term.

Early detection and appropriate treatment are the need of the hour to reduce the maternal and fetal

mortality and morbidity. The standard protocol of anti-hypertensive drugs though highly effective and lifesaving

has its own side effects that include fatigue, lethargy, exercise intolerance, sleep disturbance, bronchoconstriction

etc,.

Hence, an effective formulation in Ayurveda which is devoid of harmful drug interactions and side

effects will be of immense help for women of present era and needless to say for the foetus. In this study Punarnavadi yoga is an anubhuta yoga

containing Punarnava, Darbha and Gokshura along with Rudraksha kalka lehana which aims to manage the

gestational hypertension.