[Distribution characteristics of syndrome types in essential hypertension].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the distribution characteristics of syndrome types of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in essential hypertension and to explore the distribution rule of TCM syndromes.


METHODS
A multicenter, large-sample survey method of clinical epidemiology was applied to choose the patients with essential hypertension from North, Middle, and South China. A questionnaire was designed and filled in, then 477 untreated patients with first-diagnosed essential hypertension were selected and the information was recorded into FileMaker database. A cluster analysis method was utilized to study the TCM syndrome distribution rule of essential hypertension.


RESULTS
Two-step cluster analysis was done from 3 to 7 clusters. Seven clusters were appropriate, which included deficiency of heart and kidney qi, hyperactivity of liver-yang, deficiency of yin and yang, stagnation of phlegm-dampness, phlegm-heat (subtype of stagnation of phlegm-dampness), blood stasis obstructing collaterals, and other syndromes. The symptoms presenting high percentage in each cluster were more significant in TCM theory. The syndromes of hyperactivity of liver-yang (24.1%) and stagnation of phlegm-dampness (27.1%) presented the high percentages, and deficiency of heart and kidney qi (10.1%), deficiency of yin and yang (8.4%), and blood stasis obstructing collaterals (9.0%) presented the low percentages.


CONCLUSIONS
As compared with the current syndrome differentiation criteria, two-step cluster analysis results not only include the syndromes of deficiency of yin and yang, hyperactivity of liver-yang, stagnation of phlegm-dampness, but also cover qi deficiency and blood stasis.
Gu
Wan-Li
WL
Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng 252000, Shandong Province, China. guwanli@126.com
Shi
Zai-Xiang
ZX
Yu
Yun-Xu
YX
Wu
Yu-Wei
YW
Lu
Bao-Wei
BW
Hui
Ka-Kit
KK
D002681:China; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D000075222:Essential Hypertension; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013577:Syndrome; D016710:Yin Deficiency