title: Correlations between Phlegm Syndrome of Chinese Medicine and Coronary Angiography: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
abstract: Phlegm is one of the most common patterns of coronary artery disease (CAD) in Chinese medicine. Our research was aimed at investigating the association between phlegm syndrome of CAD and coronary angiography (CAG) by meta-analysis. According to inclusion criteria, a total of 30 studies involving 5,055 CAD patients were included. The meta-analysis showed that phlegm syndrome patients were prone to multivessel disease (28 studies, OR = 1.53, 95% CI, 1.24 to 1.88, P < 0.01) and higher Gensini score (2 studies, OR = 5.90, 95% CI, 1.86 to 9.94, P = 0.004), but not obviously relevant to severe stenosis (≥75%) of coronary arteries (13 studies, OR = 1.20, 95% CI, 0.63 to 2.27, P = 0.57). We concluded that the coronary arteries lesions of CAD patients with phlegm syndrome were more severe than those with nonphlegm syndromes. Phlegm syndrome should, therefore, be regarded as a dangerous pattern of CAD with worse prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Science-Education Industrial Park, Yuelu Region, Changsha 410208, China.
authors.forename: Qiu-Yan
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Science-Education Industrial Park, Yuelu Region, Changsha 410208, China ; The First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, No. 95 of Shaoshan Road, Yuhua Region, Changsha 410007, China.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Science-Education Industrial Park, Yuelu Region, Changsha 410208, China.
authors.forename: Hou-Wu
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Science-Education Industrial Park, Yuelu Region, Changsha 410208, China.
authors.forename: Hui-Yong
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Science-Education Industrial Park, Yuelu Region, Changsha 410208, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Qing
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: No. 8 Hospital of Changsha, No. 22 of Xingsha Street, Xingsha Region, Changsha 410100, China.
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun