Current Situation and Reconsideration on the Study of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Andrology.

The development of Chinese medicine and Western medicine andrology is based on different social background and academic systems, either Chinese medicine or Western medicine andrology has their limitations, therefore, integration of Chinese and Western medicine (ICWM) andrology is in a great need. After more than 30 years of development, andrology has made great achievements in the construction of specialized academic association, holding academic conferences and publication of academic monographs, and the research progress on this field is mainly in the combination of disease and syndrome, microdifferentiation of symptoms and signs and basic research development. However, the comprehensive theoretic system of ICWM andrology has not yet established, and the related studies are still on the primary stage. In the future studies, great efforts still need to be made to expand the methods for the investigation of ICWM, and make innovations in the field of andrology.

[Traditional Chinese Medicine promotes the development of andrology].

Andrology is an ancient branch of science which has gained a new development in the recent years and therefore has both traditional and modern characteristics. On the one hand, andrology keeps benefiting from the achievements of modern medicine and, on the other hand, it relies on the support of the theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). An integration of Chinese and Western medical principles may further facilitate the development of andrology. TCM may contribute to the development of andrology by giving full play to its advantage as a psychosomatic medicine, enriching treatment strategies for male diseases with comprehensive TCM therapies, integrating the advantages of Western medicine to improve clinical efficacy, and normalizing the use of patent TCM drugs.

[Erectile dysfunction: conservative treatment and new approaches]. / Dysfonction erectile: traitements conservateurs et nouvelles approches.

Recent societal evolutions have enabled more and more men to talk about erectile dysfunction (ED). There is a strong association between ED and cardiovascular disease and ED should now be considered as an early clinical evidence of vascular disorder. Inhibitors of the PDE-5 have revolutionized the treatment of ED. The three currently drugs (sildenafil, vardenafil and tadalafil) available as first-line therapeutic option, are well tolerated and highly effective in improving erectile function. All the potential cardiac and vascular effects of PDE-5 inhibitors have recently been reviewed. Despite the fact that million patients with ED worldwide have been successfully treated with one of these PDE5 inhibitors, some men are always difficult to treat. Several new PDE-5 inhibitors have recently been developed and are now being investigated in trials. However 30% of patients need alternative therapies and intracavernous injections are the most successful second-line treatment. Some of new therapeutic approaches are currently under investigation such as gene transfer therapy and stem cells therapy, melanocortin activators or extracorporeal shockwave therapy. Such approaches are still at an early stage but remain exciting new targets in difficult to treat patients.

The effects and prospects of the integration of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine on andrology in China.

Andrology has a long history in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) discussions concerning andropathies, and documentation of relevant therapeutic methods abound in the ancient literature on TCM. Integrated treatment combining TCM and Western medicine has seen both broad and in-depth development, with formidable status in the field of modern andrology in China. This article attempts to demonstrate the unique advantage of integrated treatment in the therapy of andropathies through a review of the ancient literature on andrology in the field of TCM and on the integrative treatment of prostatic diseases, sexual dysfunction, male infertility and late-onset hypogonadism. There is a need for the advancement of a medical theory that integrates TCM and Western medicine practices to create a new therapeutic system with standardized therapeutic and evaluative protocols for diseases involving male sexual health.

Andrology in China: current status and 10 years' progress.

Andrology has a long history in traditional Chinese medicine. There are records of male sexual health, male sexual dysfunction and male infertility from over thousands of years ago. Modern andrology in China had a late start, with the Chinese Andrology Association founded in 1995. Within last decade, andrology in China has grown rapidly. In this review article, we summarized the progress of andrology in last 10 years and outlined the current status of Chinese andrology with a special focus on progress in male erectile dysfunction, prostate diseases, male infertility and male hormonal contraception.

[Future development of andrology in China].

OBJECTIVE: To forecast the prospects of andrology in China in the 21st century and to point out the new directions of andrological development. METHODS: Speculations were made about the future development of andrology in China in the light of the present status of andrology in China, the gap between China and the developed countries in this field, and the trend of modern medicine. RESULTS: In the new century, Chinese andrologists will make various breakthroughs in revealing male reproduction secrets, establishing system epidemic data on male diseases, resolving key problems in basic and clinical researches on ED, preventing sexually transmitted diseases, and advancing andrology by taking advantage of the Traditional Chinese Medicine. CONCLUSION: By the year 2020, the Chinese andrological cause will come up to the advanced level in the world through sustained efforts and cooperation of all Chinese andrologists.