[Study on Macrocosmic Diagnostic Criteria for Coronary Heart Disease with Intermingled Phlegm- Blood Stasis Syndrome]

Area of Science:

• Traditional Chinese Medicine
• Cardiology
• Diagnostic Criteria Development

Background:

• Coronary heart disease (CHD) diagnosis requires refined criteria, particularly for complex presentations like phlegm-dampness syndrome (PDS).
• Existing diagnostic frameworks may not fully capture the nuances of PDS in CHD patients.
• Integration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) principles with Western diagnostics is crucial for comprehensive patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish macrocosmic diagnostic criteria for coronary heart disease (CHD) with phlegm-dampness syndrome (PDS).
• To develop diagnostic criteria for CHD with the intermingled phlegm-blood stasis syndrome.
• To refine diagnostic approaches by incorporating established criteria for blood stasis syndrome (BSS) in CHD.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and expert consultations to identify macrocosmic indices for CHD with PDS.
• Application of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to determine the weights of macrocosmic indices for PDS.
• Combination of established BSS diagnostic criteria with PDS indices for CHD patients.

Main Results:

• Established macrocosmic diagnostic criteria for CHD with PDS.
• Determined the relative importance (weights) of various macrocosmic indices for PDS using AHP.
• Developed integrated diagnostic criteria for CHD encompassing both PDS and blood stasis syndrome (BSS).

Conclusions:

• The developed macrocosmic diagnostic criteria provide a standardized approach for identifying CHD with PDS.
• The study offers a refined method for diagnosing CHD with complex TCM syndromes, integrating PDS and BSS.
• These criteria can aid clinicians in more accurate and comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of CHD patients.