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Researchers reporting at the annual scientific sessions of the American Heart Association have found that regular dosages of soybeans reduced hot flashes and lowered blood pressure. According to TCM theory, soy is cool and sweet. The functions of these properties would be to remove heat (such as hot flashes) and moisten dryness (another common menopausal complaint). One way in which internal heat can manifest is as hypertension. Its like watching a balloon expand when it is exposed to heat. Remove the heat, and down comes the blood pressure. Cool, huh!
Nearly 800 men in this study, published in the November issue of Health Psychology, shows a higher statistical relationship between heart disease and "hostility" than any other risk factor with the exception of HDL or "good" cholesterol levels. TCM says that anger causes the Qi to stagnate. When that happens, the Blood can stagnate too. This Blood can stagnate in the penis causing erectile disfunction, or in the heart, leading to chest pains and heart attacks. Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang is one of the more commonly used Chinese herbal formulas for this the coronary type Blood stagnation.
(link) [my.webmd.com]
Researchers at UCLA have found that patients with a history of stuttering have a higher incidence of sleep apnea, a serious form of snoring in which a patient's breathing actually stops several times a night. This article also mentions that sleep apnea is linked with a high rate of "heart death". TCM says that problems with self-expression and speech can indicate a Heart pathology as the Heart "opens to the tongue" and stores the "Shen". Shen is one's spirit, demeanor, and various other cognitive functions. Can sleep apnea then, be treated as a Shen disturbance with traditional Chinese medicine?
(link) [cnn.com]
A study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology indicates that monthly hormonal changes can give rise to acne breakouts. Alan R. Shalita, MD writes: "This study confirms that many women do, indeed, have a premenstrual flare of their acne. While it is likely that this is due to hormonal changes in the menstrual cycle, further study needs to be conducted to confirm this." Tell you what, Dr. Shalita, let's just cut to the chase and give your patients some Tao Hong Si Wu Tang. That's one of many herbal formulas that we use to address acne associated with the menstrual period. We call this problem "Blood Stagnation." It tends to give rise to acne that sits atop nodular bases that are red and aggravated by the menstrual cycle.
(link) [www.docguide.com]
Japanese researchers are beginning to log the symptoms that arise from excessive use of a computer's video display terminal. Although the VDT's may be a thing of the past as soon as the flat screens fill up the market, it may be the intense mental work that proves to be a greater cause of problems. TCM says that overthinking depletes the Spleen. Once the Spleen is deficient, dampness can arise in the body which causes a feeling of fogginess in your head, stiffness in your joints, and a few of the other issues that Japanese office workers complaint about. The symptoms described in this article represent a variety of possible pathologies, including Qi and Blood Stagnation, perhaps due to sitting in one place for so long.
(link) [www.cnn.com]
Research has discovered that women who have had Caesarean sections took longer to get pregnant a second time. Not a lot longer, but a statistical blip. Now, this study only measured those women who ended up getting pregnant again, not those who were unable to conceive a second time. Blood stagnation in the Chong and Ren channels is a common TCM cause of infertility. Scar tissue is blood stagnation, the Chong and Ren channels pass through the area affected by the C-section's scar.
(link) [news.bbc.co.uk]