The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, launched a large-scale study called BHARAT.
About BHARAT Initiative:
BHARAT is a short for ‘Biomarkers of Healthy Aging, Resilience, Adversity, and Transitions’, as part of its Longevity India Program.
The study aims to map the physiological, molecular, and environmental indicators that drive ageing in the Indian population.
Under this initiative researchers are building India's first comprehensive aging database through:
Multiparametric analysis
Advanced clinical assessment
Lifestyle and environmental factors
Comprehensive biomarker discovery
It is identifying biomarkers for healthy ageing and also building the Bharat Baseline — a reliable reference for what is normal in the Indian population.
Its database will include genomic biomarkers (like mutations linked to disease susceptibility), proteomic and metabolic indicators (reflecting biological pathways and metabolic health), and environmental and lifestyle factors.
It will challenge the western values for cholesterol, vitamin D, or B12 may label many Indians as deficient.
What are Biomarkers?
Biomarkers, short for ‘Biological Markers’ are a physical, chemical, or biological characteristic that is present in the human body, and measurable too.
The WHO defines a biomarker as “any measurement reflecting an interaction between a biological system and a potential hazard, which may be chemical, physical, or biological. The measured response may be functional and physiological, biochemical at the cellular level, or a molecular interaction”.
They are indispensable in diagnosing disease, prescribing the right medication, right dosage, and even while designing new drugs.
Biomarkers include biomolecules like carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, genes, DNA, RNA, platelets, enzymes, hormones, etc.
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