Features analysis on Traditional Chinese Medicine syndromes in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy

OBJECTIVE: To study the features of the distribution and differentiation of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndromes in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). METHODS: We collected clinical data on illness course, age, fasting blood glucose, saccharogenic hemoglobin, TCM syndromes, tongue, and pulse of 238 DPN patients. Differentiated main syndromes (Yin deficiency and exuberant heat, invasion of spleen by damp-heat, deficiency of both Qi and Yin, and deficiency of both Yin and Yang) and accompanying syndromes (blood stasis and phlegm-dampness) of diabetes were also recorded. The features of DPN syndromes were then analyzed. RESULTS: Among the four main syndromes of diabetes, deficiency of both Yin and Yang was the most common in the 238 DPN patients, of which 89%-96% had blood stasis. CONCLUSION: The method of differentiating syndromes of diabetes can be applied to DPN patients. Deficiency of both Yin and Yang, often accompanied by blood stasis, is commonly seen. (C) 2013 JTCM. All rights reserved.