Physiome and Sasang Constitutional Medicine

Area of Science:

• Integrative medicine
• Traditional Korean medicine
• Systems biology

Background:

• Sasang Constitutional Medicine (SCM) is a traditional Korean medical system for disease diagnosis and treatment.
• SCM categorizes individuals into four physical constitutions, guiding treatment strategies.
• Existing studies on SCM's methodological and physiological aspects are summarized.

Observation:

• Physiome and systems medicine are presented as frameworks for integrative medicine.
• These systems are contrasted with reductionist approaches in molecular biology.
• SCM shares conceptual similarities with predictive, preventive, personalized, and participatory (P4) medicine.

Findings:

• The review highlights the integrative and holistic characteristics of SCM.
• SCM's core features, including its four constitutions and diagnostic methods, are detailed.
• The paper explores the parallels between SCM and P4 medicine.

Implications:

• Integrating SCM with physiome research promises a new paradigm in holistic medicine.
• This integration supports a shift towards personalized and preventive healthcare models.
• The combination offers a comprehensive approach to understanding and managing health and disease.