Traditional Chinese Medicine Use and Health in Community‐Dwelling Chinese‐American Older Adults in Chicago

Chinese people have practiced traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for thousands of years, but there is a paucity of research regarding TCM use in Chinese older adult immigrants in the United States. This study aims to provide an overall estimate of TCM use for Chinese older adults in the United States and to examine associations between sociodemographic characteristics, health measures, and TCM use. Data were collected through the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago, a community‐based participant research study that surveyed 3,158 Chinese older adults aged 60 and older. TCM use was measured using an eight‐item scale that examined eight kinds of TCM. Seventy‐six percent of participants reported any use of TCM within the past year. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, health status was associated with greater use of acupuncture (odds ratio (OR) = 1.33, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.06–1.68) and massage therapy (OR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.21–1.93), and quality of life was associated with less use of prescribed herbal products (OR 0.69, 95% CI = 0.55–0.87), tai chi (OR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.50–0.78), and other traditional medicine (OR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.40–0.56). These findings call for further investigation of TCM use by Chinese older adults, especially those with poor health and those with better quality of life. In the clinical setting, physicians should have awareness of TCM when treating Chinese older adults and look toward possible integration with Western medicine for more culturally appropriate, patient‐centered care.     

Hypertension knowledge in urban elderly patients:compari-son between adherents to traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine

Objective To compare knowledge about hypertension between elderly Chinese urban patients with preferences for either traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) or Western medicine (WM).Methods Elderly (≥ 65 years old) patients with hypertension who prefer TCM treatment (n=112) or WM (n=126) were questioned about hypertension.Their answers were compared.Results Only 32.6% of participants correctly identified hypertension as a main risk factor of coronary heart disease and stroke,22.3% of patients answered that the main purpose of hypertension control was preventing cardiovascular disease.Other major reasons for these patients to seek medical treatment for their hypertension included:persuasion by physicians or their family members (21.6%),alleviating symptoms such as headache and dizziness (16.8%),lowering blood pressure without knowing specific reason (12.4%).The predictors for poor knowledge of hypertension were similar irrespective of preference for WM or TCM treatment,and included those with lower levels of education and older age.Television and newspaper (46.8%) were the most frequent sources of hypertension information for both groups.Among those who preferred TCM treatment,"TCM has fewer side effects than WM" and "TCM cures disease while WM only alleviates symptoms" were common beliefs held.Conclusion This study shows that knowledge of hypertension is similar among Chinese urban patients with preferences for either WM or TCM treatment and that misunderstandings about hypertension are common among the elderly patients.In order to control hypertension effectively,public health education is necessary.This should target those with a lower level of education and older age.     

青岛市中心城区752例糖尿病足住院患者中医体质统计分析

目的中医体质调查问卷总结青岛糖尿病足市区住院患者的中医体质状况,并为糖尿病足的健康管理提供科学依据。方法采用中华中医药学会公布的《中医体质分类判定标准》表对自2018年1月—2019年12月符合纳入标准的青岛市中心城区752例糖尿病足住院患者进行中医体质调查。结果①平和质占34.97%,偏廉体质在不同患者中占比有较大差异;②男女在统计中各有自己的特点,且均有不同差异;③随年龄增长,体质趋于增多或减少,或者保持稳定状态。结论该区糖尿病足住院患者的中医体质以平和质为主,不同性别、年龄阶段以及患者体质类型有一定的差异,在进行中医药干预及心理健康管理时,除遵循整体化和一体化的原则外,还应根据特性予个体化方案。     

Impact of Traditional Chinese Medicine on Age Trajectories of Health: Evidence from the Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging

Although traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is widely used, its effect on health outcomes is not well understood. This study employed a cohort sequential design to investigate levels and rates of change in health from midlife to older adulthood in TCM users and nonusers. A sample of 1,302 community‐dwelling adults aged 53 to 80 was selected from individuals interviewed in the 1999 Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging (TLSA) and reinterviewed in 2003 and 2007. TCM users were identified as participants who reported visiting a Chinese medicine clinic in the year before each of the three interviews. Health outcomes included physical function, self‐rated health, cognitive function, and depressive symptoms. Approximately one in five adults reported that they used TCM in at least one wave of the 3 interview years, but less than one in twenty across all waves. Controlling for time‐varying sociodemographic and health conditions, levels and rates of change in physical and cognitive function did not differ according to TCM use. Although adults who reported using TCM had higher depressive symptoms (β_TCM = 0.979, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.200–1.758) and poorer self‐rated health (β_TCM = ?0.267, 95% CI = ?0.267 to ?0.081) at baseline, their rates of change in these outcomes did not differ from those who did not use TCM. Subgroup analyses revealed that TCM use benefited adults with higher depressive symptoms by attenuating worsening depressive symptoms (β_TCM×Age = ?0.221, 95% CI = ?0.434 to ?0.007). Further research aimed at understanding the specific mechanisms by which TCM affects health outcomes is warranted.     

Patterns of traditional Chinese medicine use in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a population study in Taiwan

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Many researchers have reported on the utilization of complementary and alternative medicine by patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of this study was to investigate the use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) by all IBD patients within the National Health Insurance in Taiwan. METHODOLOGY: The complete ambulatory visits records of TCM in 2004 were obtained from the National Health Insurance Research Database. For all IBD patients identified from the registry for catastrophic illness patients, patterns of TCM visits were analyzed. RESULTS: The prevalence of IBD in Taiwan was 5.6 per 100,000 persons at the end of 2004. Of 1,206 IBD patients, 440 (37%) patients have in total 3,169 TCM visits in 2004. Women were more likely to use TCM than men (40.5% vs. 34.3%). Among the TCM users of the IBD patients, 200 (45.5%) patients had gastroenterological diagnoses at their TCM visits. Most of their TCM visits contained herbal remedies (90%), followed by manual therapy (11.7%) and acupuncture (9.8%). CONCLUSIONS: The high utilization rate of TCM among the IBD patients in Taiwan implied that their needs of medical care were not satisfied by the mainstream Western medicine. The TCM herbal regimens deserve further studies.     

Current research and development of integrated traditional Chinese and Western Medicine in gastroenterology

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is one of China’s scientific treasures. We are very fortunate to apply modern scientific knowledge and methodology towards reorganizing our inherited TCM and to then promote the integration of TCM and Western medicine (TCM-WM). Over the 45 years, many remarkable achievements have been made in this regard and we are looking forward to the next achievements in the coming century; however, many challenges remain to the establishment of TCM-WM as a trusted and oft used approach for improving human health.     

扶正解毒方联合标准方案治疗基因1型慢性丙型肝炎的前瞻性研究

目的探索我国基因1型慢性丙型肝炎(chronic hepatitis C,CHC)中西医结合治疗方案的临床疗效。方法给予我国汉族初治基因1型CHC患者中西医结合治疗,进行多中心、大样本、随机、双盲、安慰剂对照的前瞻性研究。研究分为治疗组[聚乙二醇干扰素(pegylated interferon,Peg-IFN)α-2a┼利巴韦林(ribavirin,RBV)┼扶正解毒方]和对照组(Peg-IFNα-2a┼RBV┼中药安慰剂),治疗48周,本文分析治疗至第24周时的数据。结果研究共纳入我国汉族基因1型初治CHC患者352例(治疗组178例,对照组174例)。治疗组和对照组分别有88.0%和81.1%的患者获得完全早期病毒学应答。治疗第24周时,治疗组和对照组HCV RNA阴转率分别为88.2%和83.0%。2组比较,差异均无统计学意义。最多见的不良反应为流感样症状、白细胞或血小板减少。无患者因不良反应而脱失,无严重不良反应发生。结论中西医结合治疗方案一定程度上可提高基因1型CHC患者的HCV RNA阴转率。     

中西医结合治疗系统性硬皮病386例临床分析

用中西医结合的方法治疗系统性硬皮病(SSc)386例。中药以活血化瘀、温肾补脾为治则,辅以青霉胺(小剂量递加疗法)、硝苯啶、蝮蛇抗栓酶等。疗程一年。疗效:治愈8例,显效128例,有效223例,无效27例,总有效率93％,5年生存率96.27％。结论:活血化瘀中药除可促进血液循环外,尚对SSC患者胶原纤维增生有抑制作用,中西药联合应用能提高疗效,减少副作用。     

中西医结合治疗促进AIDS病人免疫功能重建的研究

目的观察中西医结合治疗对艾滋病（AIDS）病人免疫功能重建的促进作用。方法将80例病人随机分为治疗组[中药＋高效抗反转录病毒治疗（HAART）]和对照组（单纯HAART）,疗程半年,比较两组CD4＋、CD8＋T淋巴细胞计数及白细胞介素2（IL-2）水平的变化。结果对照组（35人）和治疗组（39人）治疗后的CD4＋T细胞计数和IL-2水平,均高于治疗前（P〈0.01和P〈0.05）,而CD8＋T细胞计数低于治疗前（P〈0.01）。治疗组CD4＋T淋巴细胞上升幅度高于对照组（P=0.018）,而两组CD8＋T淋巴细胞和IL-2上升幅度的差异无统计学意义（P〉0.05）。结论中西医结合治疗提高CD4＋T细胞的效果优于单纯的抗病毒治疗,可促进AIDS病人的免疫重建。     

Complementary and alternative medicine use decreases adherence to HAART in HIV-positive women

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to treat chronic illnesses, especially HIV, is becoming increasingly widespread. Given this popularity, it is critical to understand how HIV-positive individuals use CAM and, more specifically, whether CAM use impacts their adherence to prescribed antiretroviral regimens (HAART). The present study examined the relationship between CAM use and HAART adherence among HIV+ women. Data were analysed from 366 HIV-positive, mostly African-American women, aged 18-50 years in Alabama and Georgia who were enrolled in an intervention to reduce high-risk sexual behaviour. At enrollment data were collected describing use of CAM and HAART use. Women were classified as CAM users if they reported taking herbal/natural immunity boosters (Chinese herbs, mushrooms, garlic, ginseng or algae) or multivitamins, or reported using religious/psychic health or bodywork to treat HIV. Women were classified as non-adherent if they reported missing any doses of their HAART medication in the 30 days preceding baseline assessment. Logistic regressions models, adjusted for potential confounders, were used to investigate the relationship between CAM use and HAART adherence. Women using CAM (immunity boosters or vitamins), relative to non-CAM users, were 1.69 times more likely to report missing HAART doses in the last 30 days (CI: 1.02-2.80; P=.041) even after adjusting for age, education, race, religion and income. The findings provide preliminary evidence that patients using CAM may be doing so as an alternative to traditional medicine as opposed to complementing prescribed HARRT treatment regimens. The inconsistent use of HAART is problematic given its association with drug resistance. Therefore, health care providers and patients should have explicit dialogues about how to effectively integrate CAM practices into traditional treatment regimens so that the safety and health of HIV-positive patients is not compromised.     

中药治疗对老年晚期肺癌患者生存质量的研究

目的观察中药（含中草药和中成药）治疗对老年肺癌晚期患者生存质量的影响。方法将90例老年肺癌晚期患者分为汤药治疗组、艾迪注射液组及对照组,应用肺癌患者生存质量测定量表（QLQ-LC43）及卡氏评分（Karnofsky评分）评估中药治疗对老年肺癌晚期患者生命状态的影响。结果汤药治疗组和艾迪注射液组中生理功能、情感功能、认知功能、总健康状况评分较治疗前升高,疲倦、恶心呕吐、丧失食欲、失眠、腹泻、肺癌子模块评分均较治疗前降低,经统计学检验有显著性差异。在生理功能、情感功能、认知功能、总健康状况、疲倦、恶心呕吐、失眠、丧失食欲、腹泻及肺癌子模块10个指标中汤药治疗组和艾迪注射液组与对照组比较有显著性差异。结论口服汤药及静脉艾迪注射液治疗可以提高老年肺癌晚期患者的生存质量。     

Efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese herbal medicine combined with HAART in the treatment of HIV/AIDS: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Background:Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is one of the infectious diseases pandemic in the word. Traditional Chinese herbal medicine, as an alternative and complementary therapy of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), has been put into the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS over 30 years due to its good therapeutic effects and high safety, while there is a lack of evidence-based medicine support. The purpose of this study is to explore the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese herbal medicine combined with HAART for HIV/AIDS patients.Methods:We will search all randomized controlled trials of Chinese herbal medicine combined with HAART in the treatment of HIV/AIDS from electronic databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WanFang, China Science and Technology Journal Database and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database from inception to December 31, 2021. Literature screening will be conducted through EndNote software, and data extraction will be processed according to inclusion and exclusion criteria by two independent researchers. We will use Review Manager 5.4 and Stata 16 software for data analysis and publication bias test.Results:This systematic review and meta-analysis will provide a high-quality evidence for the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese herbal medicine combined with HAART in the treatment of HIV/AIDS.Conclusion:The conclusion of this review will provide an objective assessment to evaluate whether Chinese herbal medicine integrated with HAART has the effect of improving the efficiency and depressing the toxicity.Registration number:INPLASY2021110082.     

A database on treating drug addiction with traditional Chinese medicine

AIMS: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used to treat drug addiction for more than 160 years and valuable experiences have been accumulated with regard to patients' detoxification and rehabilitation. The aims of this project were (1) to establish a computerized, bilingual (Chinese-English) database on TCM for drug addiction; (2) to analyse the literature published in this field; and (3) to identify those Chinese herbs commonly used for drug addiction treatment. DESIGN: (1) Paper collection: related papers were collected through electronic databases and hand-searched materials; (2) data computerization: the Microsoft Access program and Delphi language were used as the major data management systems; (3) paper analysis: annual publications from 1989 to 2003 were classified and calculated; and (4) herbal analysis: the frequency of herbs used and herbal function categories were analysed. FINDINGS: (1) A special bilingual database that contained 340 works of professional literature, including 85 patent files on TCM for drug addiction, was established, in which more than 90% of the publications originated from mainland China; (2) the literature classification showed a significant increase in the number of publications on clinical and laboratory researches in this field over the past decade; (3) five functional categorizations of Chinese herbs and the 10 most frequently used Chinese herbs as well as three toxic herbs were identified from more than 200 herbs reported in 150 original research articles and 85 patent files. CONCLUSIONS: For the first time, the published data on TCM in the treatment of drug addiction were analysed systematically by using a new database. The results are invaluable for further laboratory and clinical studies to obtain more direct evidence.     

External treatment of traditional Chinese medicine for constipation after thoracolumbar compression fractures: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Background:Constipation is one of the common complications of thoracolumbar compression fractures, which seriously affects the quality of life and increases pain of patients. External treatment of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely used clinically for constipation after thoracolumbar compression fractures, but there are no systematic review and meta-analysis of its efficacy. Therefore, we will conduct this study to systematically evaluate the clinical effects of external treatment of TCM for patients with constipation after thoracolumbar compression fractures.Methods:We will search the following electronic databases: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literatures Database, Chinese Scientific Journal Database, and Wanfang Database. Randomized controlled trials on the treatment of constipation after thoracolumbar compression fractures with external treatment of TCM published from inception to May 2021 will be included in the search scope. The observation group was treated with Simple external treatment of TCM (such as external application of Chinese medicine, Chinese drugs at the acupoint, acupuncture, moxibustion, etc) or external treatment of TCM combined with conventional treatment/nursing of Western medicine, while the control group only was treated by conventional treatment/nursing of Western medicine. After screening literatures, extracting data, and assessing the risk of bias in the included studies, meta-analysis will be performed by Revman 5.3 software.Results:This study is expected to provide an evidence of the efficacy of external treatment of TCM for constipation after thoracolumbar compression fractures.Conclusion:The results of this meta-analysis may help provide evidence to determine whether external treatment of TCM can be effective interventions for thoracolumbar compression fractures patients with constipation.Trial registration number:INPLASY202150005     

Correlations between symptoms as assessed in traditional chinese medicine (TCM) and ACR20 efficacy response: a comparison study in 396 patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with TCM or Western medicine.

OBJECTIVE: This research was designed to explore the role of joint and nonarticular clinical manifestations traditionally evaluated in Chinese herbal medicine in predicting efficacy of treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. METHODS: Three hundred ninety-six patients were randomly divided to receive Western medicine (WM) therapy, 197 cases; and traditional Chinese herbal medicine (TCM), 199 cases. A complete physical examination and 18 clinical manifestations typically assessed in TCM were recorded before the randomization. The WM therapy included diclofenac extended action tablets, methotrexate, and sulfasalazine. The TCM therapy included Glucosidorum Tripterygll Totorum tablets and Yishen Juanbi tablets. The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) response criteria were used for efficacy evaluation. All data were analyzed using the SPSS11.5 statistical package. RESULTS: ACR20 and 50 responses with WM treatment were higher at 24 weeks than in the TCM group. In the WM group, 89% achieved ACR20 whereas 65.8% on TCM reached this response In the WM group, efficacy was negatively related to subjective symptoms of dizziness, and positively related to joint tenderness and thirst as recorded at entry. In contrast, in the TCM group the efficacy was positively related to joint tenderness and joint pain, and negatively related to the joint stiffness and more nocturia. CONCLUSION: Symptoms including those not directly related to joints and those inquired about in TCM may have influence on the efficacy of therapy, and might merit further study to ascertain if they can be helpful to guide specific therapy.     

中药验方APD-10治疗包虫病的临床观察

目的探讨中药验方APD-10治疗包虫病的疗效及机理。方法对确诊的120例包虫病患者经口服APD-10煎剂后，对治疗前后的各项临床指标与术后病理检查结果进行对比。结果服药后症状、体征减轻，62例服药90d临床治愈，42例服药120～150d临床治愈，16例有效。治疗后B超、肺部X线片及病理检查均显示囊壁变性皱缩，囊壁纤维层断裂，角质层厚薄不均，生发层细胞浊肿明显，囊腔内有大量坏死物质。结论用APD-10治疗包虫病可获得较为满意的效果。     

新型冠状病毒奥密克戎变异株感染轻型患者的中医证候特点

目的 ：分析本土新型冠状病毒（新冠）变异株感染轻型患者的中医证候特点,为该病的防治提供临床依据。方法：选取2022年3月24日—4月24日上海交通大学医学院附属瑞金医院北部院区以及嘉荷新苑方舱收治的感染新冠奥密克戎变异株轻型患者为研究对象,共计纳入188例。通过问卷星进行基本情况、疾病史、流行病学史、中医证候和转阴天数等的收集,分析患者的一般情况、舌苔脉象辨证分型,及不同证型转阴时间。结果：轻型患者基础体质均较好,合并各种基础疾病的比例均低于20%。根据舌象、舌形、舌苔观察,发现不同舌形转阴中位时间差异有统计学意义（P<0.01）。寒湿郁肺证占38.8%,邪热犯肺证占34.5%,湿遏肺卫证占23.4%,其中寒湿郁肺证及邪热犯肺证为感染奥密克戎变异株轻型患者的主要证型。各证型转阴中位天数差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）。结论：上海本土感染新冠奥密克戎变异株发病以疫毒兼挟寒湿之邪致病为主,其中寒湿郁肺证最多见。