title: [Distribution, combination, and evolution of syndromic etiologies of erectile dysfunction].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the distribution, combination and evolution of various syndromic etiologies of erectile dysfunction (ED) based on the syndrome etiology theory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using the ED Syndromic Etiology Scale, we collected the clinical data on the Chinese medicine diagnoses of 297 cases of ED, extracted the core syndromic etiologies by analysis of principal components and factors, and analyzed the patterns of distribution, combination, and evolution of ED syndromic etiologies according to the general information of the patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Through analysis of principal components and factors, 9 core syndromic etiologies were extracted, i. e. , liver constraint with qi stagnation, kidney yin deficiency, damp-heat, liver constraint transforming into liver-fire, blood stasis, kidney yang deficiency, heart-spleen paired deficiency, qi-yin paired deficiency, and phlegm-damp. Each of these syndrome etiologies exhibited its own specific distribution patterns. Of the total number of cases studied, 51.52% had 2 or 3 core syndromic etiologies and 36.03% had only one.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the early stage of ED, its syndromic etiologies are usually liver constraint with qi stagnation, kidney yin deficiency, damp-heat, liver constraint transforming into liver-fire, and blood stasis. With the natural progres- sion of the disease, its syndromic etiologies gradually evolve into kidney yang deficiency, heart-spleen paired deficiency, qi-yin paired deficiency, phlegm-damp, and blood stasis, and finally into yin-yang deficiency of the heart, spleen and kidneys, combined with phlegm-damp and blood stasis.
authors.forename: Jian-Guo
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Yu-Chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Ke-Qin
authors.initials: KQ
authors.lastname: Ning
authors.forename: Jin-Song
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ting-Song
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Bian
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged