Body temperature regulation: Sasang typology-based perspective.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Personalized Medicine
• Traditional Korean Medicine

Background:

• Global warming is increasing heat-related morbidity and mortality.
• Individual vulnerability to heat stress varies based on innate characteristics.
• Sasang typology, a Korean traditional medicine, posits constitution-specific traits influence environmental responses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To interpret Sasang type differences in heat balance (heat production, loss, load).
• To assess the vulnerability of different Sasang types to heat stress.
• To inform health management and medical research considering constitutional differences.

Main Methods:

• Review of published data on Sasang types' body composition, metabolism, and perspiration.
• Analysis of heat balance components (heat production, heat loss, heat load).
• Interpretation of findings within the context of individual heat stress vulnerability.

Main Results:

• TaeEum type shows a tendency for lower resting and exhaustion heat production, suggesting lower metabolic efficiency.
• TaeEum type appears to have a lower surface-to-mass ratio and heat capacity, indicating reduced heat dissipation and storage tolerance.
• These characteristics suggest the TaeEum type may be more susceptible to heat stress.

Conclusions:

• Sasang constitutional types exhibit distinct thermoregulation profiles.
• The TaeEum type appears more vulnerable to heat stress due to specific physiological characteristics.
• Considering constitutional differences in temperature regulation is crucial for public health and medical research.