BHARAT Initiative: Establishing Healthy Ageing Parameters

Context: The BHARAT study, launched by IISc Bengaluru, aims to identify India-specific biomarkers for healthy ageing and address diagnostic gaps arising from the reliance on Western-centric health data.

About BHARAT Initiative (Biomarkers of Healthy Aging, Resilience, Adversity, and Transitions)

• BHARAT Initiative is a large-scale scientific study launched by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, under the Longevity India Program.
• The aim is to identify biological indicators (biomarkers) that define and influence healthy ageing in Indians.
• The study focuses on genetic, molecular, physiological, and environmental markers affecting ageing.
• It seeks to build an India-specific database of ageing parameters, as Western diagnostic benchmarks may not be suitable for Indians.

Key Findings of BHARAT Study

• Life expectancy in India has increased, but that doesn’t guarantee healthy ageing.
• Gaps exist between how diseases progress or respond to treatment in Western vs. Indian populations.
• The study addresses misdiagnosis risks by replacing inappropriate global benchmarks with India-specific health standards.
• It includes:
  • Genomic biomarkers (e.g., mutations linked to disease).
  • Proteomic and metabolic indicators (e.g., cholesterol levels, CRP markers).
  • Lifestyle and environmental data.
• AI and machine learning tools will be used to analyse complex, multi-layered datasets.
• Challenges include collecting diverse samples, obtaining data from healthy adults, and ensuring long-term support and funding.
• The project promotes early disease detection, better-personalised interventions, and improved health outcomes for Indians.

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