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Background Ashwagandha is an excellent adaptogen that is being used since ancient times in Ayurvedic medicine. Traditionally, it is used for various ailments and general well-being, including the treatment of geriatric patients. Managing quality of life (QoL) remains a challenge for the elderly population, especially joint pain management, sleep, and general well-being. With a growing global elderly population, QoL management with efficient medication and supplementation is the major healthcare requirement. Objective The objective of this study was to assess the safety, efficacy, and tolerability of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal.) root extract on the improvement of general health and sleep in elderly people. Methods This 12-week, prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted on individuals of either gender aged between 65-80 years. Participants were randomized to receive Ashwagandha root extract at a dose of 600 mg/day (n = 25) orally, or identical placebo capsules with the same dose (n = 25) for 12 weeks. Efficacy was assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire, sleep quality, mental alertness on rising, and Physician's Global Assessment of Efficacy to Therapy (PGAET). The safety and tolerability were assessed using the clinical adverse events reporting and Patient's Global Assessment of Tolerability to Therapy (PGATT).

Background and objectivesThe most widely used emergency medical services (EMS) model in India is the ‘108’ emergency service which primarily functions as an emergency response system to attend patients in need of critical care, trauma and accident victims. This is an observational cross-sectional study which was conducted using a questionnaire that asks the participants about their awareness and opinion of the current EMS system. The results of this study will enable us to ascertain the level of awareness of EMS among the population and address any misconceptions if they exist.Materials and methodsAll participants had to complete a 24-item self-administered questionnaire consisting of eight socio-demographic questions and 16 questions based on the EMS system. Questions regarding the development of the ‘112’ unified emergency service were also included. The convenient sampling method was used for data collection. The distribution of responses was examined using frequencies and percentages. Further analysis was done using the Chi-square test to compare responses between various subgroups based on the age, gender, profession, and level of education.ResultsA total of 1220 people from the state of Maharashtra responded to the survey and the maximum responses were from Mumbai. Majority of the respondents (59.2%) were from the age group of 15 to 30 years and, most of our responders had received education at the graduate level or above (78.2%). Only 17.5% of the respondents said that they will try to check for responsiveness if they saw a person lying unconscious by the side of the road with the scene being free of any danger. Interestingly, 78.9% of the healthcare professionals who participated in this survey would not check for responsiveness. Only 76.2% of the respondents knew that '108' is the number to dial in case of a medical emergency and about a quarter of them was not aware of it. It may seem that a good number of people are aware of the number. However, with the high number of fatalities occurring every day due to lack of medical facilities and a high current annual death toll on the roads, 100% of the population should know the emergency number. Only 20.2% of the respondents had called the EMS and asked for an ambulance. 68.5% of the respondents would immediately move out of the way and 27.5% of them would move out of their way if the ambulance’s lights and sirens were on. About two-thirds of the respondents were unaware of the development of a unified emergency number (112). However, a large majority (82.9%) were in favor of having a unified emergency number instead of a different number for each emergency. Only 43.8% of the respondents were of the opinion that the current EMS coverage was inadequate. 24.9% of the participants rated the current EMS as good, whereas 53.5% rated the EMS average and 16.9% rated it poor.ConclusionsAn effort should be made to make 100% of the population aware of this service. The first step for increasing awareness would be starting various advertisement campaigns. The next step ...