[Study on pathological rhythm of traditional Chinese medicine about circadian distribution of premature ventricular contractions in 240 patients with viral myocarditis].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the circadian distribution of premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) in patients with viral myocarditis (VM) according to the theory of chronomedicine in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in order to find out the scientific evidence for a reasonable administration time.


METHODS
Two hundred and forty patients with VM were enrolled and electrocardiograms were examined for all by Holter monitor. The circadian distribution of PVCs was evaluated according to the theory of chronomedicine of TCM about time periods corresponding to five zang viscera.


RESULTS
PVCs mostly happened in periods of 3:00-5:00, 5:00-7:00, 7:00-9:00 and 9:00-11:00, in which 5:00-7:00 was the most serious time. Less PVCs happened in periods of 17:00-19:00, 19:00-21:00 and 21:00-23:00. The frequency of PVCs in midnight also increased with aging. The time periods of the frequency peak of PVCs in patients with different syndromes were also different. In patients with syndrome of pathogenic heat invading heart (PHIH), the PVCs mostly appeared in midday. In patients with syndrome of flaring of fire due to yin-deficiency (FFYD), the PVCs were most serious in daytime and aggravated at noon. And in patients with syndrome of insufficiency of heart-qi and yang (IHQY), the PVCs mostly happened in early morning or midnight.


CONCLUSIONS
There was a manifest regulation of the pathological circadian rhythm of PVCs in patients with VM. The circadian distributions of PVCs were variable in patients with different syndromes. Therefore the theory of chronomedicine of TCM may be used to guide the treatment based on syndrome differentiation.
Cui
Song
S
Department of Cardiology, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200021, China.
Chen
Xin-Lin
XL
Jiang
Mei-Xian
MX
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018879:Ventricular Premature Complexes / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*