Association between metabolic syndrome and body constitution of traditional Chinese medicine:A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background:The constitution theory of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)states that body constitution and disease are associated;therefore,the identification of body constitution can provide reference for disease prevention and treatment.A series of clinical studies evaluating the association between TCM constitution and metabolic syndrome(MetS)have been conducted in recent years.The aim of this systematic review is to summarize and evaluate the clinical evidence of the relationship between constitution and MetS.Methods:The PubMed,Embase,China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),Chongqing VIP,and Wanfang Data electronic databases were searched from April 2009 to July 2020.The search terms included“metabolic syndrome,”“constitution,”and“Chinese medicine.”Observational studies evaluating the relationship between body constitution of TCM and MetS were included.The primary outcome included the distribution of constitutional types in the MetS population,and odds ratio(OR)or relative risk(RR)between constitution and MetS.Effect size was expressed as proportion or OR with 95%confidence interval(CI).Methodological quality of included studies was evaluated by the NewcastleeOttawa Scale(NOS)or the American Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality(AHRQ)criteria.Results:Three caseecontrol and 26 cross-sectional studies involving 30435 cases were included.Phlegm-dampness,qi-deficiency,and damp-heat were the main constitution types in patients with MetS,accounting for 29%(22%e39%),18%(13%e24%),and 12%(9%e17%)of the population,respectively;the risk of MetS in people with phlegm-dampness and qi-deficiency constitution was 1.74[1.27,2.38]and 1.29[1.01,1.65]times higher than that in those with other constitutions.There were sex-and age-related differences in the distribution of TCM constitution in patients with MetS.Conclusion:Phlegm-dampness and qi-deficiency were associated with the occurrence of MetS.Welldesigned cohort and caseecontrol studies are needed to provide evidence for the use of TCM to prevent and treat MetS.

Concepts of body constitution, health and sub-health from traditional Chinese medicine perspective

This paper described and discussed the important literature and ideas about the concepts, types and measurement of body constitution, in terms of healthy,sub-healthy and disease status. In view of traditional Chinese medicine, ‘‘healthy" state is a status of relative balance of Yin and Yang to keep our bodily homeostasis. If there are significant physical and/or psychological stressors, such as loss of a beloved one and failure in study or work, the body can no longer keep its own bodily condition balanced and subsequently enter a state of ‘‘sub-health"(sub-optimal health).‘‘unhealthy" body constitution such as ‘‘Dampnessheat", ‘‘Cold-dampness" and ‘‘Heat- or Cold- dryness"with a subnormal body temperature and humidity and clinical manifestations such as insomnia, malaise and overweight will be presented. Immediate, appropriate strategies such as modification of life-style and seeking medical treatment can prevent evolution of an illness.Otherwise, the body will enter a disease status with a‘‘pathological" body constitution of ‘‘Yin or Yang deficiency'', ‘‘Blood-stasis" and/or ‘‘Phlegm-dampness". To be complimentary with health promotion and disease prevention in Western medicine, understanding about an individual's body constitution, together with itsdeterminants(e.g., healthy eating and lifestyle behaviors), can contribute to a more proactive, holistic and individualized healthcare.

Correlation between Tibetan and traditional Chinese medicine body constitutions: A cross-sectional study of Tibetan college students in the Tibet Autonomous Region

Objective:To evaluate the correlation between the body constitution types of Tibetan medicine and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).Methods:The cluster sampling method was employed to recruit participants from a university in the Tibet Autonomous Region.Tibetan medicine and TCM questionnaires were respectively used to assess the participants' constitution information.Descriptive statistics were applied to analyze the baseline and constitution characteristics of the participants.Two-factor correlation analysis and the paired chi-square test were applied to analyze the correlation between Tibetan and TCM constitution types.Results:Data from 466 Tibetan students were analyzed.The mean scores of the rlung,mkhris pa,and bad kan constitution types in Tibetan medicine were 43.2 (11.1),42.1 (10.1),and 45.0 (8.0),respectively;participants with the three-factor convergence body constitution type accounted for 13.7% of the whole population.Among the TCM constitution types,qi stagnation was the most common (21.5%),followed by the balance type (16.5%);the other constitutions detected were qi deficiency,yin deficiency,and yang deficiency.The rate of consistency for the identification of the three-factor convergence constitution in Tibetan medicine and the balance constitution in TCM was 89.1%,with a Kappa coefficient of 0.57 (P >.05).The rlung constitution in Tibetan medicine was associated with the yin deficiency,yang deficiency,and blood stasis constitutions in TCM.The mkhhris pa constitution in Tibetan medicine was associated with the damp heat and yin deficiency constitutions in TCM.The bad kan constitution in Tibetan medicine was associated with the phlegm dampness,qi deficiency,and yin deficiency constitutions in TCM.Conclusion:There is a correlation between the body constitution types of Tibetan medicine and TCM.The reliability and validity of the Questionnaire for TibetanMedicine Constitution requires improvement,and more studies with larger sample sizes and more varied populations are warranted to verify the correlation between Tibetan medicine and TCM constitutions.

The theory development of traditional Chinese medicine constitution: a review

Traditional Chinese medicine constitution (TCMC),as one of the most important parts of Chinese medicine theory,attracted the attention of more and more researchers and many research projects were conducted during past several decades in China's Mainland.This review provided a historic overview of TCMC theory and research progress in its classification,evaluation criteria and epidemiology,so as to give people through a different lens to understand human health.

Analysis of the Main Body the Object and their Relationship Concerning Research of Traditional Chinese Medicine

This paper is the analysis of the main body, the object and their relationship concerning research of traditional Chinese medicine. The result proved that the main body of research of traditional Chinese medicine is researchers who possessed the fundamentals of traditional Chinese medicine. It is the objects of research of traditional Chinese medicine that origin of a class of traditional Chinese medical literature consisting of herbals which focus on descriptions of individual drugs; the relationship of the technological process of preparing Chinese medicine, as by parching, roasting, baking, steaming, soaking, and simmering, etc.;and technology of separating, extracting and purifying for composition; traditional Chinese medicine dynamics of one of the 12 two-hour periods into which the day was formerly divided before the introduction of western chronology; compatibility of medicines in active compositions; patent, effectiveness for a given period of time and constantly changing of traditional Chinese medicine.The relationship between the main body and the objects was that the former depends on the latter ones and the main body has subjective initiative as fully as possible.

A Brief Analysis of the Correlation Between Allergic Rhinitis and Traditional Chinese Medicine Constitution

Allergic rhinitis(AR)and is a type of allergic diseases caused by an inflammation of the nasal mucosa caused by allergens.Clinically,AR is a common allergic disease and is difficult to treat.Due to differences in individual constitutions also known as body type,the severity of the disease is also different and it may even affect the daily life of the patient if it is severe.The effective treatment of AR has become a hot topic in current allergic disease research.Traditional Chinese Medicine’s understanding of constitution is based on the“Yellow Emperor’s Internal Classic”book,and Professor Wang Qi put forward the“physical constitution theory of traditional Chinese medicine”.The constitution is a key internal factor of the occurrence and development of diseases.It is believed in Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)that the constitution can be regulated,and rectifying the patient’s imbalanced constitution has a positive effect on the diagnosis,treatment,and prognosis of the disease.Therefore,based on the“physical constitution theory of TCM”,this study considers the idea of treating body differently applying TCM constitution in the treatment of AR as the breakthrough point,and explores the correlation between AR and TCM constitution.The results show that TCM constitution is an intrinsic factor affecting the pathogenesis of AR.The use of TCM constitution theory in the treatment of AR has a positive effect and should be popularized in application.

A Study on the Correlation Between Cerebral Small Vascular Disease and Constitution Types of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Objective:To study the correlation between cerebral small vascular disease and constitution types of Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM).Methods:The severity of lacunar infarction and leukoaraiosis were graded in 230 patients with cerebral small vascular disease,and they were divided into TCM constitution types.The survey of TCM constitution types was carried out by using standardized TCM constitution scale,and order multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the correlation between TCM constitution types with severity of lacunar infarction and leukoaraiosis.Results:Yang-deficiency(阳虚)constitution,blood-stasis constitution and phlegm-dampness constitution were the most common TCM constitution types in patients with lacunar infarction,accounting for 33.7%,12.5%,11.5%respectively.Yang-deficiency constitution,blood-stasis constitution and Yin-deficiency(阴虚)constitution were the most common TCM constitution types in patients with leukoaraiosis,accounting for 28.8%,18.5%,13.7%respectively.There were significant differences in lacunar infarction of Yang-deficiency constitution and blood stasis constitution(P<0.05),and there were significant differences in leukoaraiosis of phlegmdampness constitution and blood-stasis constitution(P<0.05).Single factor analysis showed that the main risk factors of lacunar infarction were age,smoking,alcohol consumption,Yang-deficiency constitution and blood-stasis constitution,and the main risk factors of leukoaraiosis were age,smoking,hypertensive disease,phlegm-dampness constitution and blood-stasis constitution.The ordered multivariate Logistic regression analysis found that the severity of lacunar infarction was closely related to age,and the severity of leukoplosis was closely related to age,smoking and hypertension disease.Conclusion:TCM constitution types of lacunar infarction in patients with small cerebral vascular disease is mainly Yang-deficiency constitution and blood-stasis constitution,and the risk factors include age,smoking,alcohol consumption,Yang-deficiency constitution and blood-stasis constitution.Age is closely related with lacunar infarction.TCM constitution types with leukoaraiosis are mainly phlegm-dampness constitution and blood-stasis constitution,and the risk factors are age,smoking,hypertension disease,phlegm-dampness constitution and blood-stasis constitution.Age,smoking and hypertension disease are closely related with leukoaraiosis.

Fecal-associated microbiome differences between traditional Chinese medicine qi-deficiency and balanced constitutions

Objective:To explore the structural and functional characteristics of the fecal-associated microbiome(FAM)in a traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)qi-deficiency constitution(QDC)by comparing with balanced constitution(BC)and screen the related biomarkers.Methods:In this cross-sectional study,the TCM constitutions of subjects were determined based on published the Classification and Determination of constitution in TCM and further confirmed by a TCM clinician.Clinical characteristics were recorded,and fecal samples were collected for 16S rDNA sequencing using the Illumina Miseq platform.The FAM structure was described using alpha-diversity indexes,beta-diversity indexes,and the relative abundances of the dominant taxa.Differences in the FAM distribution and function were analyzed with a Wilcoxon rank-sum test,MetagenomeSeq,and LEfSe analysis,after which a receiver operating characteristic curve based on the specific operational taxonomic units(OTUs)was constructed to calculate the area under the curve.Results:Our study population was composed of 22 BCs and 9 QDCs.There were no significant differences between the two groups in the distribution of clinical characteristics or alpha-diversity indexes,except for the sweets preference and blood glucose level.In principal coordinate analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis,the bacterial communities in the BC group samples and QDC group samples clustered separately.Notably,there were 214 OTUs significantly distributed between groups in the MetagenomeSeq analysis,200 OTUs identified by the Wilcoxon rank-sum test,and 6 OTUs found by the LEfSe analysis.Predicted function analysis revealed that six metabolic pathways were distinctly distributed between the two groups.The area under the curve for the receiver operating characteristic curve based on the four specific OTUs was 0.88.Conclusion:Unique FAM structural and related functional characteristics are displayed in individuals with a QDC,and four specific OTUs could be used as QDC biomarkers to assist in clinical diagnosis.

Clinical Research on the Treatment of Simple Obesity by Oral Chinese Medicine Combined with Health Education to Improve Phlegm Dampness Constitution

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of oral traditional Chinese medicine granules combined with health education to regulate phlegm constitution and treat simple obesity. METHODS: According to the method of constitution evaluation in TCM Constitution Classification and Evaluation(Chinese Association of Chinese Medicine), the TCM classification of Chinese medicine was performed on patients who came to the outpatient department of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Pinggu District of Beijing and met the diagnostic criteria of simple obesity. One hundred patients with phlegm constitution were selected and those in accordance with the standards, were randomly divided into group with oral TCM granules combined with health education(refer to as treatment group) and health education group(refer to as control group) according to 1:1 ratio. The control group was given health education including diet and exercise instruction. Treatment group:(1) Health education includes diet and exercise instruction.(2) Oral Chinese medicine granules: ingredients: atractylodes rhizome 15g, raw barley 30g, Folium Nelumbinis 10g, Chinese hawthorn fruit 10g, Chinese waxgourd peel 15g, milk-vetch root;15g, kudzuvine root 15g, danshen root10g, 2 times/d. The two groups were intervened for 12 weeks each time, and obesity evaluation indicators such as body weight, body fat, waist circumference, hip circumference, weight index, and score table of TCM constitutional were observed before and after the intervention. Statistical software was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The total curative effect of the treatment group was better than that of the control group(P<0.001). The weight index, body weight, waist and hip circumference decreased significantly after treatment(P <0.01). Compared with the two groups, the treatment group is better than the control group in terms of dampness constitution improvement, weight and fat losing and waist and hip circumference reducing.(P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Oral Chinese medicine granules Jiangzhuo Fang(combined with health education) and simple health education can improve phlegm constitution, and improve the body weight, body fat percentage and other indicators of the patients, but oral granules combined with health education to improve the physical fitness of phlegm is better than simple health education. The thoughts and methods of Chinese medicine granules combined with health education to regulate phlegm constitution is effective for weight losing and is worthy of further research and promotion.

Randomized control study in the influence of different training methods of Tai Chi on Chinese medicine constitution of international students with depression or depression tendency

目的：探讨太极拳不同训练方式对留学生抑郁或抑郁倾向的影响.方法：38名留学生被随机分为太极拳单纯动作练习组（简称单纯动作组）和太极拳动作练习配合呼吸吐纳组（简称呼吸吐纳组）,并比较两组实验前后中医体质的均分变化.结果：与训练前相比,38名留学生中偏颇体质的平均得分明显下降（P〈0.05）.与训练前相比,呼吸吐纳组中气虚型、阳虚型、痰湿型、气滞型的偏颇体质的平均得分显著降低（P〈0.05）.单纯动作组的阳虚型、血瘀型、气滞型的偏颇体质的平均得分也显著下降（P〈0.05）.另外,气虚型、阳虚型、阴虚型、痰湿型、气滞型的偏颇体质的平均得分均显著低于单纯运动组中这些体质的得分,提示太极拳动作练习配合呼吸吐纳的方法优于太极拳单纯动作练习（P〈0.01）.结论：与呼吸吐纳法结合,太极拳动作练习对改善与抑郁或抑郁倾向相关的偏颇体质有更好的效果.

Holistic medicine: A new medical system based on body constitution and functional status

At present,modern medicine is a scientific system in the following sense:it uses observation of static states and analysis of single factors to determine the relationship between structure and function in the human body in states of health and disease.Physiology and pathology are based on observation from multiple perspectives and at multiple levels.The study of human body constitution and overall functional status is relatively unexplored territory in the field of modern medicine.This article discusses the possible confluences between traditional Chinese medicine (Chinese medicine) and the methods and concepts of complexity science.It also reveals that Chinese medicine,unlike biomedicine (Western medicine),uses a method of modeling to study the human body,and law and control methods from the perspective of functional state and viewpoint.To derive from there,in time of complexity science concept becoming the mainstream scientific idea of today,by adopting its methodsand techniques,and introduce Chinese medicine theoretical model,methods and experience,to develop a holistic medicine that can reveal human body constitution and functional state.It will be the main direction for the development of the 21st century modern medicine.

A New Page for Women's Reproductive Health in Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine

The integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine (ICWM) of obstetrics and gynecology (OBS/GYN) emerged eventually with more than 40 years’ hard struggle, and one of the most promising articles is the integration of the masterpieces of menstrual disorder and infertility in TCM and the virtual explosion of new knowledge and methods in

Translation, Adaptation and Validation of a Chinese Medicine Questionnaire to Brazilian Portuguese

The Constitution in Chinese Medicine Questionnaire [CCMQ] organizes 9 body constitutions according to Traditional Chinese Medicine [TCM]. The translation was realized by a Medical Doctor [MD] specialized in TCM and the back translation by an english-speaking MD. Comprehensibility assessment was performed (N = 40, main scores ranged from 4.20 to 4.95). On the test-retest reliability Cronbach’s alpha was 0.920 in the first application and 0.943 in the second, the intraclass correlation scores ranged between good and excellent (0.6 - >0.80). The results show that the adaptation of the CCMQ is valid and ready to be used.

Analgesic effects of balanced acupuncture versus body acupuncture in low-back and leg pain patients with lumbar disc herniation, as assessed by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging

Balanced acupuncture, a single-acupoint balance therapy, regulates the balance of the cerebral center, and is characterized by exerting quick effects and a short treatment course. A total of 20 low-back and leg pain patients with lumbar disc herniation were treated with balanced acupuncture or body acupuncture. Central mechanisms of vaded acupunctures were compared using resting-state functional MRI. Patients from both groups received functional MRI before and after acupuncture. Functional connectivity in brain regions that were strongly associated with the bilatera amygdala was analyzed utilizing AFNI software. Visual analogue scale scores were greater in the balanced acupuncture group compared with the body acupuncture group. Function of the endogenous pain regulation network was enhanced in patients in the balanced acupuncture group, but was not changed in the body acupuncture group. This result indicates that the analgesic effects of body acupuncture do not work through the central nervous system. These data suggest that balanced acupuncture exerts analgesic effects on low-back and leg pain patients with lumbar disc herniation by regulating the function of the endogenous pain regulation network.

Logistics Regression Analysis between TCM Constitution Types of Patients with Hypertension,Insomnia and ABPM,PSQI

[Objectives]The research aimed to explore the distribution characteristics of TCM constitution types of patients with hypertension and insomnia,and study the clinical characteristics of patients with different constitutions,in order to provide new ideas for the treatment of patients with hypertension and insomnia.[Methods]Cross sectional observation method was used,and 420 patients with hypertension and insomnia were selected.Required information was collected,and the constitution type of traditional Chinese medicine was determined,and relevant data were recorded.SPSS and Logistic regression analysis method were used to explore the correlation between the distribution of TCM constitution types and gender,age,24 h-SBP,24 h-DBP,24 h-BPV,PSQI score,etc.[Results]Among 420 patients,the proportion of gentleness constitution was the most,and others in turn were Qi deficiency constitution>Yang deficiency constitution>phlegm dampness constitution>Qi stagnation constitution>Yin deficiency constitution>blood stasis constitution>damp heat constitution>special constitution.Among male patients,the proportion of gentleness constitution was the most.Among female patients,the proportion of Qi deficiency constitution was the most.In each constitution,the proportion of men and women was different,and the difference in gentleness constitution,Qi deficiency constitution and Yin deficiency constitution had statistical significance(P<0.05).The proportion of gentleness constitution for young and middle-aged patients was the most,while elderly patients with Qi deficiency constitution was the most.There was difference in the distribution of TCM constitution in different age groups,and the difference had statistical significance(P<0.05).Compared with the patients with gentleness constitution,the patients with Qi deficiency constitution,Yang deficiency constitution,Yin deficiency constitution,damp heat constitution,blood stasis constitution and Qi stagnation constitution had different differences in terms of age,24 h-SBP,24 h-DBP,24 h-BPV and PSQI score,and there was statistical significance(P<0.05).Except damp heat constitution,blood stasis constitution and special constitution,other constitutions had certain correlation with age,24 h-SBP,24 h-DBP,24 h-BPV and PSQI score.[Conclusions]TCM constitution types of patients with hypertension and insomnia were dominant by gentleness constitution,Qi deficiency constitution and Yang deficiency constitution.The distribution of TCM constitution in different gender and age groups was different,and different TCM constitution was related to ABPM and PSQI.

Traditional Chinese Medicine constitution among patients with allergic rhinitis and its correlation with anxiety and depression

OBJECTIVE:To preliminary investigate the distribution of Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)constitution among patients with allergic rhinitis(AR)and reveal the related factors with anxiety and depression.METHODS:Between July 2020 and June 2021,specialist doctor recruited AR patients in Beijing and Shanghai.A total of 630 patients admitted to participate in the survey,and 516(81.9%)(male 54.3%,female 45.7%)participants completed the questionnaires.Three scales including Constitution in Chinese Medicine Questionnaire(CCMQ),Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire(GAD-7)and The Patient Health Queationaire-9(PHQ-9)were applied.Theχ^(2)and the Fisher’s exact test were used to evaluate the classification data,multivariate logistic regression was used to explore the related factors of anxiety and depression.RESULTS:According to 516 AR patients,the most commonly first-constitution was Yang-deficiency(22.1%)and frequent of all constitutions was inherited-special(21.6%).One third of AR patients(33.5%)suffered from anxiety,nearly half of AR patients(46.5%)were found to be depressive.Inherited-special(27.7%)was the most common constitution in patients with anxiety whereas Yang-deficiency(26.7%)was most common constitution in patients with depression.Sex,duration of symptoms,balanced,Qi-deficiency,phlegm-dampness,Qi-stagnation,and inherited-special constitutions were related with anxiety;Sex,income,duration of symptoms,balanced,Qi-deficiency,Yang-deficiency,phlegm-dampness,Qi-stagnation,and inherited-special constitutions were related with depression.CONCLUSIONS:According to our study,the commonly constitution types of AR were Yang-deficiency and inherited-special.We found that the prevalence value of anxiety and depression were high.People with Qi-deficiency,phlegm-dampness,Qi-stagnation,and inherited-special constitutions were more likely to have mental problems than the others.Controlling these influential factors might be beneficial for clinical health management of AR patients,and the government should apply appropriate mental health treatment services to offer psychiatric support.

Discrimination of TCM constitutions by biochemical and routine urine indexes

Objective:To investigate whether the specific traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)constitution of individuals can be defined by certain biological indexes instead of answering the questionnaire,and to explore the possibility of discriminating nine TCM constitutions from each other simultaneously using biological indexes.Methods:Blood and urine samples from 152 individuals with nine TCM constitutions were collected,and the related biological indexes were analyzed combining ANOVA,multiple comparison,discriminant analysis,and support vector machine.Results:We found that 4 out of 24 blood routine indexes,7 out of 10 urine routine indexes,and 12 out of 32 biochemical indexes showed differences among the constitutions.High-sensitivity C-reactive protein,apolipoprotein A1,and alkaline phosphatase were potential candidates for screening out individuals with unbalanced constitutions.Combining uric acid,high-density lipoprotein,apolipoprotein A1,creatine kinase,total protein,aspartate aminotransferase,total bile acid,dehydrogenase,sodium,and calcium levels had the potential to directly distinguish the nine TCM constitutions from each other.Among these indexes,the highest ratio of discriminant analysis between two constitutions was 95.5%,while the lowest was 66.1%.Conclusion:Our results suggest that some biochemical and urine indexes are related to various TCM constitutions,and thus they have the potential to be used for TCM constitution classification.

Structure and function of the fecal-associated microbiome in qi stagnation constitution

Objective:To clarify the structural and functional characteristics of the gut microbiota in individuals with qi stagnation constitution(QSC)and identify the potential biomarkers related to QSC.Methods:This cross-sectional study involved individuals with QSC and balanced constitution(BC)confirmed by TCM clinicians.The clinical features were recorded,and fecal samples were collected for 16S rDNA sequencing.The structure of the fecal-associated microbiome(FAM)was described by the alpha-diversity indexes,beta-distances,and relative abundances of dominant taxa.The differences in FAM distribution were analyzed by the Wilcoxon rank-sum test,MetagenomeSeq,and LEfSe analysis.The 16S rDNA gene sequences were assigned to the KEGG dataset to predict the functional information of bacterial metabolic pathways by using PICRUSt.Differences in functional pathways between groups were assessed with the Wilcoxon rank-sum test.The ROC curve based on specific operational taxonomic units(OTUs)was constructed,and the AUC was calculated.Results:Twenty-two individuals with BC and 8 with QSC were recruited.Significant differences between the two groups were found in body mass index,health status,and low-density lipoprotein,etc.There was no significant difference in the alpha-diversity index.PCoA showed no evident clustering of bacterial communities according to constitutions.Bacteroidaceae,Lachnospiraceae,Ruminococcaceae,and Prevotellaceae were the four common bacteria with high abundances.Notably,MetagenomeSeq,LEfSe analysis,and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test identified significantly different distributions of 66,42,and 36 OTUs,respectively.Predictive function analysis showed that 13 metabolic pathways were significantly differentially distributed,including those related to fatty acid synthesis.Five specific OTUs were selected as potential biomarkers of a QSC,and the AUC was 0.94.Conclusion:Individuals with QSC have unique FAM structure and related functional characteristics.Five specific OTUs were identified to serve as potentially effective biomarkers related to QSC.

Characteristics of 240 randomized controlled trials for adjusting constitution in preventive treatment of disease:A bibliometric analysis

Background:A growing number of randomized controlled trials(RCTs)have explored the significance of adjusting constitution for preventive treatment of disease in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM).In this study,we sought to comprehensively analyze the characteristics of these RCTs.Methods:All RCTs related to constitutional adjustment and preventive treatment of disease were included in the study.Literature was screened searching seven databases,including Pubmed,Web of Science,Embase,SinoMed,CNKI,Chongqing VIP,and Wangfang Database,from inception to December 2018.Data pertaining to bibliometrics,participants,and interventions were extracted and analyzed.Results:Two hundred and forty papers were published between 2007 and 2018,involving 240 RCTs with 55977 total participants.Sample size in these RCTs ranged from 30 to 7800.Among them,59 RCTs addressed disease prevention prior to onset involving 11 healthy states of participants,mainly for general health or sub-health population(40.68%)using health care and non-drug therapy.In control the development of existing disease(n Z 174),59 diseases were involved.Based on the number of RCTs and sample sizes,diseases including type 2 diabetes mellitus,primary hypertension,nonalcoholic fatty liver disease,and hyperlipoproteinemia accounted for 51.15%of the total patients studied.Drug therapy as an intervention was frequently used.In preventing recurrence after recovery(n Z 7),over 4 kinds of health status in participants were involved.Drug therapy combined with health care was mostly used.Most RCTs reported positive outcomes,with only one reporting negative findings(1/240).Conclusion:The number of RCTs of constitutional adjustment on preventive treatment of disease has gradually increased since 2012.Participants and intervention measures from the above-mentioned types of RCTs exhibit their own characteristics.Future systematic reviews or meta-analyses on constitutional adjustment for preventive treatment of disease are warranted.

Brief Analysis of Treatment of Postpartum Body Pain by Professor Zhang Xiaofeng from the Viewpoint of “Liver Vital Deficiency and Yang Stagnation”

Postpartum body pain is a common gynecological disease in clinical setting.Its symptoms are complex and is difficult to treat.It is often treated in many ways but with poor results,which bring great pain to patients and their families.Professor Zhang Xiaofeng can effectively improve clinical treatment of this disease from the point of view of“liver vital deficiency and yang stagnation”.This paper mainly introduces the professional experience of Professor Zhang Xiaofeng in treating postpartum body pain.A clinical case was attached for reference as proof.