Using the Objective Physiological Parameters to Test TCM Syndrome in Sub-health Subjects

August 16, 2020 updated by: National Yang Ming University
Background: Suboptimal health status (SHS) is a dynamic state potential clinical stage or prior psychosomatic disease stage during which people have not been diagnosed with a disease, but they have risk factors for illness and have tendency to develop diseases. The term refers to an existing condition of ill health that could lead to a pathologic condition but could also be eliminated, enabling the individual in question to return to a state of good health. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) emphasizes the importance of health care and the idea that preventive treatment for diseases is superior to curative treatment. Therefore, early TCM-based intervention can improve the health status of people with SHS. People with SHS often experience such nonspecific symptoms as fatigue; such symptoms are typical of SHS from the perspective of TCM. The present study investigated people with SHS and fatigue as their primary symptom. All enrolled participants completed a physical questionnaire, after which their physiological parameters were monitored using a cloud physiological signal monitoring system to investigate correlations with TCM patterns. Methods: The participants first completed a body constitution questionnaire, the WHO Quality of Life questionnaire, the SHSQ-25 questionnaire, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and subsequently underwent sphygmography to determine their pulse patterns. Analyses of pulse waves were presented in relation to the spectral energy ratio (SER), and SER10 scores represented subtle changes in internal organ blood flow; 13-50-Hz spectrum analysis for pulse delineated any flow energy deviation in organs.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

100

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

      • Taipei, Taiwan, 112
        • National Yang-Ming University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

20 years to 70 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

This study enrolled individuals aged between 20 and 39 years based on previous studies, which showed that SHS is most prevalent in people aged 20 to 39 years. Individuals who conformed to A+B+D or A+C+D (described below) and who had not been diagnosed as having a disease by personnel practicing Western medicine were defined as having SHS. Individuals who did not meet the criteria for SHS and who had not been diagnosed as having a disease by Western medicine were defined as healthy.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Fatigue combined with one or more of the following symptoms of insomnia and higher dreaming frequency, irritability and short temperedness, forgetfulness, chest tightness, lack of concentration, or loss of memory (assessed using the Suboptimal Health Status Questionnaire-25 [SHSQ-25]).
  • Body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 30 kg/m2.
  • Resting blood pressure measured as 130-139/80-89 mmHg on more than three occasions in 1 week.
  • SHSQ-25 score of ≧35

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Individuals diagnosed as having a chronic condition by Western medicine, including hypertension, diabetes, chronic hepatitis, chronic kidney disease, chronic hyperlipidemia, and coronary heart disease.
  • Individuals diagnosed as having a mental illness by Western medicine.
  • Individuals diagnosed with cancer.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental
subjects with sub-health status
check heart rate and pulse rate

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Sub-optimal Health Status Questionnaire-25
Time Frame: immediately after interview
minimum (0) and maximum (100) values; score more than 35 is defined as sub-optimal health
immediately after interview

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
heart rate variability
Time Frame: immediately after interview
a non-invasive method to evaluate autonomic nervous activity in human
immediately after interview

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

March 21, 2017

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 30, 2017

Study Completion (Actual)

December 30, 2017

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 18, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 16, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

August 18, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

August 18, 2020

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 16, 2020

Last Verified

October 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • YM105101E

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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