Innovation in the treatment of cardiovascular disease

 » Combining tradition with modern scientific knowledge – press article from the Rhein-Lahn-Zeitung (german)

Bad Ems, 22 November 2007

The Staatsbad Bad Ems held a press conference to present a solution to cardiovascular problems through a close collaboration between the Maharishi Ayurveda Private Clinic Bad Ems and heart specialists from an in-patient clinic.

Prevention, rejuvenation, and treatment of chronic disorders: these are the goals and activities to which the Ayurveda Private Clinic in Bad Ems has been dedicated since 1992, said Lothar Pirc, the managing director. He emphasised the exceptional significance of Ayurveda in the field of prevention. Ayurvedic medicine makes it possible, he said, to detect the onset of cardiovascular disease at a very early stage, long before the first symptoms are noticeable. ‘And now, through collaboration with heart specialists Dr Reisinger and Professor Schwartzkopff, we have the additional option to apply the most up-to-date methods of diagnosis and treatment. For our guests, there is thus a high degree of safety and security, medical diagnosis, and documentation of progress,’ said Lothar Pirc, who on 2.11.2007 was honoured with a ‘Global Award’ by the renowned Indian ‘Ajmal Khan Society’, for his achievements in the worldwide dissemination of Ayurveda.

Here Dr Thomas Reisinger joined in, from the Paracelsus Clinic Bad Ems.  He gave the example of a heart attack, in order to highlight the difference between Ayurveda and high-technology medicine. The main focus of Ayurveda, Dr Reisinger said, is to avoid such a catastrophic event.  However, heart attack remains at the top of the list of causes of death. ‘If the patient is delivered to a well-equipped clinic, then we can for example re-open a blocked coronary artery by inserting a heart catheter, and thereby possibly save the patient’s life,’ Dr Reisinger said.

His colleague Professor Dr Bodo Schwartzkopff called for a better, broader, and more widely accepted health awareness. The number of patients with high blood pressure, overweight, and diabetes was continuing to increase, he said. These disorders are particularly influenced by lifestyle. “The move towards greater health awareness can be brought about by Ayurveda,” he added. “In the field of cardiovascular medicine itself, there is very promising research on Ayurveda in the prevention of risk factors such as high blood pressure, smoking, and overweight,” said Professor Schwartzkopff.

From New Delhi, India, the Ayurvedic physician Vaidyacharya Dr J.R. Raju was connected via videoconference. Dr Raju, who is the medical director of a Maharishi Ayurveda hospital in New Delhi and guest professor at many international universities, explained how important the heart is: as the seat of life energy, for physical health, good immune strength, and a healthy state of mind. He described the causes of cardiovascular disorders from the Ayurvedic perspective and explained how through intensive Ayurvedic procedures, herbal preparations, individualised diet, and relaxation techniques, it is possible to treat even advanced stages of cardiovascular disease with good prospects of success.

Vaidyacharya Dr Jaya Ramanuja Raju has trained over 1000 western doctors in Nadi Vigyan, Ayurvedic pulse diagnosis.

Dr Karin Pirc, medical director of the Maharishi Ayurveda Private Clinic Bad Ems, illustrated the clear successes that could be achieved with arterial hypertension and metabolic syndrome, through various natural procedures of Maharishi Ayurveda. She said: “The effects on blood sugar and cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and reduced drug intake, are very encouraging.”  Maharishi Ayurveda could also be effectively implemented to avert the later consequences of cardiovascular disease, she said.

Reinhard Hoppe, managing director of the Staatsbad Bad Ems, the organisation hosting the press conference, summed up by praising the collaboration between ancient Ayurvedic medicine and modern cardiovascular diagnosis as an intelligent and forward-looking concept. Meanwhile, town mayor Ottmar Kanz expressed his confidence that this cooperation would add further strength to the reputation and achievements of Bad Ems as a health resort, after the many successes that had already been achieved through Ayurveda.