Advances in the management of arteriosclerosis of the lower extremity:Integrating Western and Chinese medicine approaches

This editorial provides a commentary on the recent article.The paper reviews current literature and explores innovative treatment strategies for lower extremity arteriosclerosis obliterans(LEASO)through an integrative approach.It highlights the effectiveness of combination therapies that merge traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)with Western medical practices,suggesting that such integrative methods may improve patient compliance and outcomes through personalized care.This paper stresses the importance of rigorous clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TCM interventions within LEASO treatment protocols,advocating for evidence-based validation of these combined therapies.Our recommendations emphasize accurate diagnosis,appropriate pharmacological in-terventions,the use of advanced surgical and endovascular techniques,and the inclusion of TCM to address underlying dysfunctions.Additionally,continuous monitoring,patient education,and lifestyle modifications are essential to slow disease progression and achieve optimal patient outcomes.The paper concludes by calling for further research to develop standardized treatment protocols that effectively integrate both Western and Chinese medical approaches in managing LEASO.

Therapeutic effect of traditional Chinese medicine on coagulation disorder and accompanying intractable jaundice in hepatitis B virus-related liver cirrhosis patients

AIM： TO observe the therapeutic effects of new traditional Chinese medicine （TClVl） therapy on coagulation disorder and accompanying intractable jaundice in HBV-related liver cirrhosis patients. METHODS： Using stratified random sampling according to fibrinogen （Fib） levels, 145 liver cirrhosis patients due to hepatitis B complicated by coagulation disorder were treated. Of them, 70 in research group were treated with TCM by ＂nourishing yin, cooling blood and invigorating blood circulation＂ and Western medicine, 75 in control group were treated with conventional Western medicine. The indexes of liver function, coagulation function and bleeding events were observed and compared. RESULTS： The prothrombin time （PT） was shorter and the fibrinogen （Fib） level was higher in the research group than in the control group （Fib = 1.6-2.0 g/L, 1.1-1.5 g/L, and ≤ 1.0 g/L）. The total bilirubin （TBIL） level was significantly lower in the research group than in the control group, except for the subgroup of FIB ≤ 1.0 g/L. CONCLUSION： TCM therapy can improve coagulation fuction and decrease TBIL.

Treatment of 140 cerebral palsied children with a combined method based on traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)and western medicine

Objective:To observe and evaluate a method that is effective and practical for treatment of cerebral palsied(CP)children in China.Method:The patient's age and disease type and individual specific conditions were considered in choosingtherapy methods accordingly:Chinese herbs,acupuncture,auricnlar seed pressure,point finger pressing,massage,orthopedichand manipulation,physiotherapy,occupational therapy,language therapy,etc.Meanwhile we created a new CP treatment modelthat combines hospitalized treatment with family therapy.Results:The majority of CP patients improved greatly in motor andsocial adaptation capacities after treatment.Wilcoxon paired rank sum test analysis showed that there were significant differencesbetween the data before and after treatment(P<0.01).Conclusion:This combined therapy method,based on traditional Chinesemedicine and western medicine plus family supplemental therapy,is an effective and practical treatment strategy for CP children inChina.

Clinical Observation of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine in the Treatment of Chronic Ulcerative Rectitis

Objective:To observe and compare whether the combination of traditional Chinese and Western medicine can achieve more satisfactory results in the treatment of patients with chronic ulcerative rectitis(UR).Methods:70 cases of chronic ulcerative rectitis were selected in all hospitals of our hospital for comparison.Observation and control were set up.The number of people was the same,but there were differences in methods.The control group retained enema,and the observation group was treated with traditional Chinese medicine.Rectal mucosa scores after different treatments were compared to evaluate the effect of intervention.Results:It was found that the observation group scored lower(P<0.05),and the effect was better.Conclusion:For the treatment of patients with chronic ulcerative rectitis,the combination of traditional Chinese and Western medicine will help to promote the prognosis of the disease,improve the problem of ulcer,promote the improvement of gastrointestinal function and bring a more positive impact.

Meta-analysis on the treatment of adenoid hypertrophy in children with integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine

Objective: To evaluate the effect of combined Chinese and western medicine on children withadenoidal hypertrophy. Methods: System comprehensive retrieve hownet (CNKI), a database of ten thousand China (WanFang), Chinese biomedical database (CBM), weipu database (VIP), PubMed, Embase and Cochrane library database, retrieval time from March 1, 2009 to December 31, 2019, the use of "Cochrane bias risk assessment tools to have included in the quality of literature evaluation, and to use the literature on into RevMan 5.3 software for Meta quantitative analysis. A total of 10 references were included in this study, and a total of 464 clinical cases were included in the total sample size for meta-analysis, including 242 in the experimental group and 222 in the control group. Results: The statistical data show that the total effective rate of combined traditional Chinese and western medicine for the treatment of adenoid hypertrophy in children is higher than that of western medicine alone (OR = 4.27, 95% CI: 2.50, 7.13, P <0.00001) The effect of nasal congestion caused by adenoid hypertrophy in children is better than that of western medicine alone (MD =-0.64, 95% CI [-0.94, -0.35], P <0.0001);the effect of improving snoring symptoms in children Better than using western medicine alone, the difference is statistically significant (MD =-0.66, 95% CI [-1.11, -0.21], P <0.01);the effect of reducing the relative ratio of adenoid and posterior nostril is better than that of pure The difference was statistically significant when treated with Chinese or Western medicine (MD =-0.18, 95% CI [-0.24, -0.12], P <0.00001). Conclusion: Based on the existing data and methods, traditional Chinese medicine combined with western medicine has a reliable effect on adenoid hypertrophy in children. It is superior to western medicine alone in terms of treatment efficiency and improvement of clinical symptoms, without serious adverse reactions.

Etiology and Pathogenesis of Pericarditis from the Perspective of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine

Pericarditis is a common clinical pericardial disease with complex etiology,pathogenesis,and high recurrence rate.Interleukin-1 is an important inflammatory cytokine,which regulates the occurrence and development of inflammation by regulating IL-1α,IL-1β,and IL-IRA;it plays an important role in pericarditis.In traditional Chinese medicine,the modem understanding of its etiology and pathogenesis has been improved.In this review,the etiology and pathogenesis of pericarditis are discussed from the perspective of traditional Chinese and Western medicine.

Research Survey of Animal Model of Hepatic Fibro-sis Integrated with Western Medicine Diseases and Traditional Chinese Medicine^TCM~)Syndrome

Although the animal models of hepatic fibrosis developed by former researchers have pathological changes of hepatic fibrosis, they do not include charac- teristics of important TCM syndromes such as stagnation of qi, deficiency of qi, liver depression, phlegm-dampness and blood stasis because of single-factor model- ing. Animal models of hepatic fibrosis and animal models integrated disease and syndrome were reviewed, and several new types of integrated disease and syndrome animal models constructed by multiple-factor modeling method were evaluated, under the guidance of etiological theory of TCM. This kind of hepatic fibrosis model animals has dual characteristics of disease and syndrome. It is consistent with pathological characteristics of hepatic fibrosis in western medicine when replicating the basic characteristics accorded with TCM syndrome. Thus, the pathogenesis and pathogenic process of clinical disease and syndrome formation is simulated more ac- curately, providing a new platform and pathway for studying hepatic fibrosis disease with integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine.

Evaluation of Clinical Efficacy on Acute Pancreatitis Treated with Combination of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine: A Meta-Analysis

Objective: Meta-analysis was conducted to assess whether combination of traditional Chinese and western medicine could enhance clinical outcomes compared to single western medicine in the treatment of acute pancreatitis (AP). Methods: This systematic review will include prospective and retrospective comparative studies in all languages and evaluate the clinical efficacy of integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine versus single western medicine in treatment AP. Animal studies will not be considered. Published articles were acquired from Jan. 2001 to Dec. 2017 by a comprehensive search in Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure database (CNKI), Chinese WANFANG database. Exclusion criteria were non-comparative studies, hybrid treatment. The main points include clinical efficacy;carefully evaluating and reviewing the literature and filtering the literature according to inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria. Statistical analyses were performed using software Review Manager (Version 5.0). Publication biases of main results were examined by Stata 12.0. Results: 1262 cases of 1342 cases were effective and the effective rate reaches 94.04% in the group of integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine, while 949 cases of 1223 cases were effective and its effective rate can be up to 77.60% in the group of single western medicine (P > 0.05%, I2 = 0%, Odds Ratio (OR) = 4.98, 95% CI = 3. 79 - 6.54, P Conclusion: These results suggest that the therapeutic effects of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine on AP are better in treatment of AP than that of western medicine alone.

Meta-analysis of traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine in treating retinal vein occlusion complicated by macular edema

Objective:TMeta-analysis was performed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of the combination of traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine in treating patients with retinal vein occlusion(RVO)complicated by macular edema(ME).Methods:We searched The CNKI,Wanfang Data,PubMed and Cochrane Library from database.All of randomized controlled trials(RCTs)of the combination of traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine in treating patients with RVO complicated by ME were searched.The Revman5.3 software were used for meta-analysis.Results:A total of 30 trials involving 1943 patients and 1976 eyes were included.Meta-analysis showed that compared with western medicine,the combination of traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine can significantly improve the best corrected visual acuity[(MD=0.08,95%CI=0.07~0.10,P<0.00001)(MD=-0.16,95%CI=-0.24^-0.08,P=0.0002)(MD=5.78,95%CI=1.30~10.25,P=0.01)],reduce the central macular thickness(MD=-54.6,95%CI=-73.76^-35.43,P<0.00001),and improve the clinical effective rate(RR=1.32,95%CI=1.22~1.43,P<0.00001).Conclusion:The combination of traditional Chinese and western medicine in treating patients with RVO complicated by ME was superior to western medicine in improving the best corrected visual acuity,reducing the thickness of macular fovea and improving the clinical efficacy.

Gaps and feasibility of fixed-dose combination strategy in the development of modern Chinese medicine

isTraditional Chinese medicine(TCM)is a highly complex chemical substance system,which not only reflected in the complexity of the chemical components and their interrelationships,but also in the intricacy of the prescription’s connection with the human body.Component compatibility strategy has been proposed for developing modern TCM since 2005 and established comprehensive relevant technologies and research approaches.Moreover,to meet the safety and efficacy of current pharmaceuticals,research on fixed-dose combination drugs is directed by modern scientific theories,conforms to TCM compatibility principles and clarifies material basis and pharmacological mechanisms and component-effect correlations.This review summarized gaps and feasibility of fixed-dose combination strategy in the development of modern TCM research and assessed their advantages and disadvantages in light of contemporary drug combination research practices.

Clinical Effect of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine on Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

Objective:Patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy were treated with integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine,and the final results were observed.Methods:70 patients with such symptoms were randomly divided into two groups.The number of people is the same,and the treatment methods are different.The control group uses western medicine,while the observation group uses traditional Chinese medicine to evaluate the treatment effect.Results:After treatment,the effective rate of the observation group was(P<0.05),indicating that the treatment effect was significantly better.Conclusion:Patients with clinical diabetic peripheral neuropathy treated with routine nutrition and nerve repair,and with Chinese medicine,the effect is more satisfactory,and the effect is positive,so as to promote the optimization of their health.

Treatment of Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis using traditional Chinese medicine

Helicobacter pylori is a pathogenic bacterium with strong pathogenicity, which can induce chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer in addition to causing gastric mucosal atrophy and intestinal metaplasia after longterm infection. It is even associated closely with the occurrence of gastric cancer and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. Recently, the incidence of H. pylori-associated gastritis has increased rapidly worldwide, especially in China. The prevention and treatment of H. pylori infection has become an urgent issue to be resolved by the medical community. Traditional Chinese medicine and the combination of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine have recently shown unique advantages in the treatment of H. pylori–associated gastritis. The progress in this area is summarized in this review.

meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of combined treatment with DGSN and western medicine on diabetic peripheral neuropathy

Objective:To systematically study the clinical effects of combined treatment with Dang gui si ni tang(DGSN)and western medicine(WM)on diabetic peripheral neuropathy.Methods:Seven databases,including Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),Chinese Biomedical Database(CBM),Wanfang full-text database,VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals,MEDLINE,PubMed,Embase,were retrieved.Related references about randomized controlled trials on the combination of DGSN and WM on diabetic peripheral neuropathy published during January 2012 up to now(recent 5 years)were reviewed.Related grey literatures were also reviewed according to the selected articles.RevMan5.3 software was used to analyze the publish bias,and to compare the total clinical effects of the combination of DGSN and WM with WM alone.Results:Ultimately,19 randomized controlled trials with 1690 patients were incorporated.The results of meta-analysis showed that combined treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy with DGSN and WM showed better general efficacy compared with control group,with a statistically significant difference(P<0.05).The results of study showed homogeneity(P=0.94>0.05).The general efficacy of combined treatment with DGSN and WM was significantly higher than that of control group(P<0.00001,OR=3.98,95%CI:3.01~5.27).Conclusion:Compared with treatment with WM alone,combined treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy with DGSN and WM is more effective.Meanwhile,due to the limited literature samples and low quality of literatures,large samples and high quality of multi-center randomized controlled double-blind trials are needed to verify these results.

Effect of TCM Combined with Chemotherapy on Immune Function and Quality of Life of Patients with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer inStage Ⅲ-Ⅳ

Objective: To observe and compare the effect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) combined with chemotherapy (CT) on immune function and quality of life (QOL)of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ. Methods: One hundred cases with stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ NSCLC were randomly divided into two groups. The treated group (n=50) received CT combined with TCM, and the control group received CT alone. The percentage of T lymphocyte subset in peripheral blood and the change of natural killer (NK) cell count were observed after treatment. The QOL and tolerance of CT were also compared between the two groups after treatment. Results: In the treated group, CD3 cell count, CD4 cell count, CD4/ CDg ratio and NK cell activity were higher than those in control group, while CD8 cell count in the treated group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05), and QOL and tolerance of CT in the treated group were also better (P<0.05). Conclusion: TCM combined with CT could raise the patients' ability in tolerating CT in stage Ⅲ-ⅣNSCLC.

Update on establishment of TCM animal model of myocardial ischemia and Chinese medicine treatment

The prevention and treatment of myocardial ischemia is a hot and difficult point in clinical research and animal experimental research in the cardiovascular field.The combined disease and syndrome animal model with the disease characteristics of Western medicine and guided by the theory of Chinese medicineto replicate the"syndrome"of Chinese medicine on the model animals by using experimental methods is an effective tool for the research of Chinese medicine.This article summarized the methoding methods and evaluation index of the animal model combined disease of coronary heart disease myocardial ischemia with cold blood stasis,phlegm and blood stasis,qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome,kidney deficiency and blood stasis,and concluded the treatment of Traditional Chinese medicine.At the same time,it analyzed the main deficiencies of myocardial ischemia syndrome combined with animal models to provide reference for the establishment and research of related animal models.

Intra-set correlation analysis of medical records of thyroid cancer treated by traditional Chinese medicine Master ZHOU Zhongying

Objective Based on intra-set correlation analysis, this paper deconstructs the clinical medical records of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) Master ZHOU Zhongying in treating thyroid cancer, and analyzes the experience in “mechanism-syndrome-medicine-prescription” for thyroid cancer.Methods Through Medcase data processing platform, based on Frequent Pattern(FP)-Growth enhanced correlation analysis algorithm, the medical records of Professor ZHOU Zhongying for the treatment of thyroid cancer from June 1, 2001 to February 28, 2015 were analyzed within the set.Results This study involved 43 medical records, 43 patients, and 167 visits. After processing intra-set correlations, 28 groups of highly correlated symptoms, 21 groups of highly correlated tongue images, 10 groups of highly correlated pulse conditions, 28 groups of highly correlated pathogenesis, 34 groups of highly correlated herbs, and 26 groups of highly correlated western medicine diagnosis were selected. Professor ZHOU Zhongying treats thyroid cancer according to syndrome differentiation. Symptoms with more association rules included neck swelling, neck pain, cough, and dry mouth;tongue images with more association rules included dark purple tongue, dark red tongue, and fissured tongue;pulse conditions with more association rules were wiry pulse, thready pulse, small pulse, and slippery pulse;the pathogenesis with more association rules was phlegm and blood stasis, damp-heat accumulation,and impairment of both Qi and Yin;herbs with more association rules were Chaihu(Bupleuri Radix), Zeqi(Sun Euphoribiae Herb), and Tiandong(Asparagi Radix);western medicine diagnosis with more association rules included thyroid cancer, insomnia, and chronic gastritis.Conclusion Thyroid cancer mostly presents as deficiency in origin and excess in manifestations. The basic pathogenesis is phlegm and blood stasis, damp-heat accumulation, and impairment of both Qi and Yin, which are closely related to liver, kidney, and spleen. Professor ZHOU Zhongying adopts both attack and supplement approaches as the general treatment principle, with a strong emphasis on regulating Qi and relieving depression, eliminating phlegm and resolving stagnation, eliminating dampness and turbidity, clearing fire and destroying poison, moistening dryness and softening hard mass, invigorating Qi and nourishing Yin, and paying attention to nourishing liver and kidney, invigorating spleen and stomach,while protecting the heart and lungs.

Cohort Study on the Effect of a Combined Treatment of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine on the Relapse and Metastasis of 222 Patients with Stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ Colorectal Cancer after Radical Operation

Objective： To evaluate the effectiveness of a comprehensive therapy of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） in reducing the relapse and metastasis of stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ colorectal cancer based on conventional Western medicine （WM） therapy. Methods： Two hundred and twenty-two patients in total, diagnosed as stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ colorectal cancer from February 2000 to March 2006, were recruited from Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences and the General Hospital of Beijing Military Area. They were followed-up once every 3-6 months. Twenty cases dropped out from the cohort. The remaining 202 patients were all treated with routine WM treatment [including R0 radical operation, or chemotherapy or/and radiotherapy according to national comprehensive cancer network （NCCN） clinical guidelines]. These patients were assigned to two groups based on whether or not they were additionally treated with TCM comprehensive therapy （orally administered with a decoction according to syndrome differentiation, combined with a traditional patent drug over one year）. Ninety-eight patients from Xiyuan Hospital were treated with WM and TCM （combined group）, and 104 patients from the General Hospital of Beijing Military Area were treated with WM alone （WM group）. The demographic data at baseline were comparable, including the operation times, age, sex, TNM staging, and pathological types. The patients were followed-up for one to five years. Up to now, there are 98, 98, 77, 64, and 47 patients with 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years of follow-up in the combined group, respectively; and 104, 104, 97, 81, and 55 patients in the WM group, respectively. The results of the 5-year follow-up of all the patients will be available in 2011. Results： The relapse/metastasis rate of 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year were 0 （0/98）, 2.04% （2/98）, 11.69% （9/77）, 14.06% （9/64）, and 21.28% （10/47） in the combined group, and were 4.80%（5/104）, 16.35% （17/104）, 21.65% （21/97）, 25.93% （21/81）, and 38.18%（21/55） in the WM group, respectively. A significant difference was found in the second year between the two groups （X^2=12.117, P = 0.000）. Median relapse/metastasis time was 26.5 months in the combined group and 16.0 months in the WM group. Conclusion： The combined therapy of TCM and WM may have great clinical value and a potential for decreasing the relapse or metastasis rate in stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ colorectal cancer after conventional WM therapy.

Effect of Western medicine therapy assisted by Ginkgo biloba tablet on vascular cognitive impairment of none dementia

Objective:To discuss the clinical effects of Western medicine therapy assisted by Ginkgo biloba tablet(GBT) on patients with vascular cognitive impairment of none dementia(VCIND).Methods: A total of 80 patients with VCIND were divided into two groups randomly:Conventional treatment group(control group) and combined treatment group.Conventional treatment group was given conventional treatment with anti-platelet aggregation.In this group,75 mg aspirin was given three times a day for 3 months.While in combined treatment group,19.2 mg CRT was given three times a day for 3 months together with conventional treatment(anti-platelet aggregation drugs). Montreal cognitive assessment(MoCA) and transcranial Doppler(TCD) were used to observe changes of cognitive ability and cerebral blood flow in VCIND patients before and after treatment in both groups.Then the clinical data were analyzed so as to compare the efficacy in two groups. Results:After 3 month-treatment in combined treatment group,the scores of executive ability, attention,abstract,delayed memory,orientation in the MoCA were significantly increased compared with those before treatment and those in control group after treatment.Besides,blood flow velocity of anterior cerebral artery increased significandy than that before treatment and that in control group after treatment.Conclusions:CBT tablet can improve the therapeutic efficacy as well improve cognitive ability and cerebral blood flow supply of patients with VCIND.

Update on the Fungal Biofilm Drug Resistance and Its Alternative Treatment

Candida albicans (C. albicans) and Aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus) are the two main pathogens in the clinical setting to cause serious, sometimes, lethal fungal infections. Immunocompromised patients fall victims to these fungi, with a mortality rate rising drastically over the past decades. This is in correlation with the fact that conventional antifungals are no longer capable of completely eradicating the disease, or if so, high doses are usually required to do so, leading to eventual resistance to those drugs and severe side effects. High drug resistance is in association with the discovery that these opportunistic pathogens have the ability to develop a multicellular complex, known as biofilm. Biofilms prevent drugs from reaching the fungal cells by sequestering them in their extracellular matrix. Other factors such as extracellular DNA, persister cells or heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) also play a role in biofilm and contribute to drug recalcitrance. With the discovery of new antifungals lagging behind, scientists focused on other more profitable ways to counteract this phenomenon. Combination of two or more antifungals was found effective but came with serious drawbacks. Natural plant extracts, such as traditional Chinese medicine have also been demonstrated in vitro to possess antimicrobial actions. Great interest was directed towards their use with conventional antifungal agents with a possibility of lowering the necessary concentration required to inhibit the growth of fungi. This review aims in understanding the different factors contributing to clinical drug resistance and evaluating the effect of combination therapy and natural products on those cases difficult to treat.