Rama Jayasundar1,
Ankur Poddar2, Ariachery Ammini3, Ashok Kumar
Mukhopadhyaya4
1Department
of NMR, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India; 2Department
of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India; 3Department
of Endocrinology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India; 4Department
of Lab Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
This study explores how MRI can be used innovatively for scientific research and validation of traditional medicine, and focuses on the predictive and personalised Indian medical system of ayurveda. In particular, correlation between ayurvedic clinical phenotyping, and MRI assessed subcutaneous fat (SF) measurements in abdomen and thigh was studied in 28 healthy volunteers, who were phenotyped according to the ayurvedic indices. Whole body MRI in the coronal plane for evaluating fat distribution was also carried out. Significant associations were observed between phenotypes considered in ayurveda to be predisposed to obesity and diabetes, and regional and whole body subcutaneous fat distribution.