title: Validation of a new simple scale to measure symptoms in heart failure from traditional Chinese medicine view: a cross-sectional questionnaire study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Current clinical practices used to functionally classify heart failure (HF) are time-consuming, expensive, or require complex calculations. This study aimed to design an inquiry list from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that could be used in routine clinical practice to resolve these problems.
  
  
  METHODS
  The severity of documented HF in 115 patients was classified according to their performance in maximal exercise tests into New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification (FC) II or NYHA FC III. Concomitantly, the patients were assessed using the new TCM inquiry list and two validated quality of life questionnaires, namely, the Short Form 36 (SF-36) generic scale and the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ). Factor analysis was applied to extract the core factors from the responses to the items in TCM inquiry list; logistic regression analysis was then used to predict the severity of HF according to the extracted factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The TCM inquiry list showed moderate levels of correlation with the physical and emotional components of the SF-36 and the MLHFQ, and predicted the functional class of HF patients reliably using logistic regression analysis, with a correct prediction rate with 64.3 %. Factor analysis of the TCM inquiry list extracted five core factors, namely, Qi Depression, Heart Qi Vacuity and Blood Stasis, Heart Blood Vacuity, Dual Qi-Blood Vacuity, and Yang Vacuity, from the list, which aligned with the perspective of TCM as it relates to the pattern of HF. The correct prediction rate rose to 70.4 % when Dual Qi-Blood Vacuity was combined with the MLHFQ. The excessive false-negative rate is a problem associated with the TCM inquiry list.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The TCM inquiry list is a simple scale and similar to patient-reported subjective measures of quality of life in HF, and may help to classify patients into NYHA FC II or NYHA FC III. Factor 4 addresses dizziness, dizzy vision and general weakness, which are critical parameters that distinguish between NYHA FC II and NYHA FC III. Incorporating these three items into the management of HF may help to classify patients from a functional perspective.
authors: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, No. 222, MaiJin Road, Anle District, Keelung, 20401, Taiwan.|Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, No. 259, Wen-Hwa 1st Road, Kwei-Shan, Taoyuan, 33302, Taiwan.
authors: Tieh-Cheng
authors: TC
authors: Fu
authors: Graduate Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, No. 259, Wen-Hwa 1st Road, Kwei-Shan, Taoyuan, 33302, Taiwan.
authors: Yi-Chung
authors: YC
authors: Lin
authors: Center for Traditional Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No.201 Sec. 2, Shipai Road, Beitou District, Taipei City, 11217, Taiwan.|Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, No. 259, Wen-Hwa 1st Road, Kwei-Shan, Taoyuan, 33302, Taiwan.
authors: Ching-Mao
authors: CM
authors: Chang
authors: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, No. 222 MaiJin Road, Anle District, Keelung, 20401, Taiwan.|Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, No. 259, Wen-Hwa 1st Road, Kwei-Shan, Taoyuan, 33302, Taiwan.
authors: Wei-Ling
authors: WL
authors: Chou
authors: Heart Failure Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, No. 222 MaiJin Road, Anle District, Keelung, 20401, Taiwan.
authors: Pei-Hsun
authors: PH
authors: Yuan
authors: Heart Failure Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, No. 222 MaiJin Road, Anle District, Keelung, 20401, Taiwan.
authors: Min-Hui
authors: MH
authors: Liu
authors: Heart Failure Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, No. 222 MaiJin Road, Anle District, Keelung, 20401, Taiwan.
authors: Chao-Hung
authors: CH
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Statistics and Information Science, Fu Jen Catholic University, No. 510 Zhongzheng Road, Xinzhuang District, New Taipei City, 24205, Taiwan.
authors: Juei-Chao
authors: JC
authors: Chen
authors: Research Center for Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture, and School of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, No. 91 Hsueh-Shih Road, North District, Taichung City, 40402, Taiwan, Republic of China. tcmchh55@gmail.com.
authors: Hen-Hong
authors: HH
authors: Chang
authors: School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.|Liver Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan.|Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors: Tai-Long
authors: TL
authors: Pan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Aerobic capacity; Heart failure; Inquiry; Traditional Chinese medicine