A Nonlinear Association between Tongue Fur Thickness and Tumor Marker Abnormality: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Many associations between tongue fur and different physiological and biochemical indexes have been revealed. However, the relationship between tongue fur and tumor markers remains unexplored. METHODS: We collected the medical examination reports of 1625 participants. Participants were residents of Chengdu, China, undergoing routine health checkups at the health management center of the Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine between December 2018 and September 2020. The participants' tongue fur thickness was measured using the DAOSH four-diagnostic instrument. Tumor marker levels, including t-PSA, AFP, CEA, CA125, and CA199, were measured in the clinical laboratory. Curve-fitting and multivariable logistic regression were used to analyze the association between tongue fur thickness and tumor marker abnormality. RESULTS: Curve-fitting showed that the relationship between tongue fur thickness and abnormal tumor marker rate was nonlinear, similar to a U shape. As the tongue fur thickness value increased, the abnormal tumor marker probability initially decreased and then increased. Logistic regression showed that, in the crude model, compared with the thin tongue fur group, the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the less or peeling tongue fur group and thick tongue fur group for tumor marker abnormality were 1.79 (1.02-3.17) and 1.70 (1.13-2.54), respectively. After adjusting gender, age, body mass index (BMI), smoking history, drinking history, tongue color, the form of the tongue, and fur color, the ORs and 95% CIs of the less or peeling tongue fur group and thick tongue fur group were 1.93 (1.04-3.57) and 1.82 (1.17-2.81), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Excessive or very little tongue fur is associated with tumor marker abnormality. Further cross-sectional studies are needed to evaluate the clinical value of tongue fur for cancer diagnosis and screening.

Etiology Exploration of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease From Traditional Chinese Medicine Constitution Perspective: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: From the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) constitution theory perspective, the phlegm-dampness constitution is thought to be closely related to the occurrence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, this viewpoint still lacks rigorous statistical evidence. This study aimed to test the association between the phlegm-dampness constitution and NAFLD. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study. Participants were residents living in Chengdu, China, undergoing health checkups at the health management center of Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine between December 2018 and September 2020. TCM constitution type was diagnosed by DAOSH four examinations instrument, NAFLD was diagnosed according to the liver ultrasonography and medical history. Multivariate logistic regression and propensity score matching (PSM) were used to analyze a total of 1,677 qualified data. Results: 1,037 participants had biased constitution(s), 67.8% of which had mixed constitutions (with at least two constitutions). Among 1,677 participants, the phlegm-dampness constitution was associated with the yang-deficiency, yin-deficiency, dampness-heat, qi-depression, and blood-stasis constitutions. The correlation coefficients were 0.11, 0.32, 0.42, 0.20, 0.14, respectively. Between the phlegm-dampness constitution and NAFLD, the odds ratio (OR) and the 95% confidence interval (CI) was 2.05 (1.57-2.69) in the crude model. After adjusting for age, gender, Body mass index (BMI), other biased constitutions, smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, and dyslipidemia, the OR reduced to 1.51 (1.04-2.18). The associations of seven other biased TCM constitutions and NAFLD were not statistically significant in the fully adjusted model. The PSM analysis showed consistent results with the logistic regression. Conclusions: Among eight biased TCM constitutions, the phlegm-dampness constitution is independently associated with NAFLD. We speculate the phlegm-dampness constitution is a risk factor of NAFLD. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm this causal relationship in the future. In addition, inconsistent with some TCM practitioners' experience, we disagree that the blood-stasis constitution is associated with NAFLD.

The Electric Shock during Acupuncture: A Normal Needling Sensation or a Warning Sign.

The electric shock has been proposed as one of the new needling sensations in recent years. In acupuncture sensation scales, the electric shock is included by ASS and SNQS, but not SASS, MASS, and C-MMASS. Some scholars argue that the electric shock is a normal needling sensation, but some researchers do not agree with this view. This problem has not been resolved due to a lack of evidence from basic research. Literature and research point out that the electric shock is caused by inserting a needle into the nerve directly. A question of considerable scientific and practical interest is whether the electric shock should be a normal needling sensation. In this article, we review the historical documentation of the needling sensation and the process of formulating and improving acupuncture sensation scales to suggest that the electric shock may not be a normal needling sensation. Secondly, we collected and analyzed cases of nerve injury caused by acupuncture accompanied by the electric shock and why acupuncture caused the electric shock without nerve injury. It suggests that there may be a correlation between the electric shock and peripheral nerve injury, and acupuncture manipulation is an essential factor in adverse acupuncture events. Finally, we put forward that the electric shock during acupuncture is a warning sign that the peripheral nerve may be injured, rather than a normal needling sensation. In the future, we hope to have experimental studies on the mechanism of the electric shock or observational studies on the correlation between the electric shock and peripheral nerve injury to verify.

Meditative Movements for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Physical activity plays a specific role in the fundamental aspect of diabetes care. It is necessary to develop exercise programs for these patients. The aim of this systematic review is to summarize current evidence regarding the effectiveness of meditative movement in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: The following databases were searched: PubMed, CENTRAL, Web of Science, Ovid LWW, and EMBASE. Two independent investigators searched and screened the studies by finding duplications, excluding irrelevant titles and abstracts, and then selecting eligible studies by reviewing full texts. 21 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Meta-analyses were performed on glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting blood glucose (FBG) and postprandial blood glucose (PPBG), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and body mass index (BMI). RESULTS: Meta-analyses showed that meditative movements significantly improved FBG, HbA1c, PPBG, TC, LDL-C, and HDL-C. No improvement was found in BMI. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrated a favorable effect or tendency of meditative movements to improve blood glucose and blood lipid levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The special effects of meditative movements in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients need further research.

Acupoint catgut embedding for diabetic gastroparesis: A protocol of systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic gastroparesis (DG) is a common complication to diabetes mellitus (DM). A lot of clinical researches have focused on acupoint catgut embedding for diabetic gastroparesis. However, there is no systematic review and meta-analysis has been conducted. We aim to systematically review the effect of acupoint catgut embedding on diabetic gastroparesis. METHODS: The databases including PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Web of Science, Ovid LWW, EMBASE, CNKI, Wanfang Database will be searched. Studies published from the time when the database establishment to July 2019 will be retrieved. Randomized controlled clinical trials and quasi-randomized controlled trials on acupoint catgut embedding for diabetic gastroparesis will be included. The primary outcomes are gastroparesis Cardinal Symptom Index (GCSI) or a similar scale to score dyspeptic symptoms. RevMan V.5.3 software will be used to perform the analyses. RESULTS: This study will provide a high-quality synthesis of the effectiveness and safety of acupoint catgut embedding for diabetic gastroparesis. CONCLUSION: This systematic review will provide a high-quality evidence to judge whether the acupoint catgut embedding is beneficial to treat diabetic gastroparesis. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42019140951.

The effect of meditative movement for glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trails.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes is one of the most common and complex chronic disease. A lot of clinical researches have focused on meditative movement for type 2 diabetes. However, there is no systematic review and meta-analysis has been conducted. We aim to systematically review the effect of meditative movement on the type 2 diabetes care. METHODS: The databases including PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Web of Science, Ovid LWW, EMBASE will be searched. Studies published from the time when the database establishment to December 2018 will be retrieved. RCTs study on meditative movement for glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes will be included. The primary outcomes are HbA1c, fasting blood glucose, and postprandial blood glucose (PPBG). RevMan V.5.3 software will be used to perform the analyses. RESULTS: This study will provide high-quality synthesis of effectiveness and safety of meditation movement for type 2 diabetes. CONCLUSION: This systematic review will provide high-quality evidence to judge whether the meditative movement is beneficial to glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes.PROSPERO registration number: CRD42019128495.

[Association between social psychological factors and depressive symptoms among healthcare workers].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the association between the effort-reward imbalance at work and depressive symptoms among healthcare workers. METHODS: The effort-reward imbalance at work was conceptualized in terms of the Chinese version of the effort-reward imbalance (ERI) model. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Chinese version of the Center of Epidemiology Survey Depression (CES-D) scale. The data came from the cross-sectional survey of 1 179 healthcare workers aged between 18 and 73 employed in 6 affiliated hospitals of Zhejiang University. The questionnaire comprised questions on the effort-reward at work, over-commitment, the full CES-D scale of depression and a range of other characteristics. Univariate analyses were used with Spearman's correlation, Mann-Whitney test, Pearson chi(2) test and likelihood chi(2) test. Multivariate logistic regression analyses was used to discover factors associated with depressive symptoms. RESULTS: The prevalence of depressive symptoms among healthcare workers was 48.12% (95% CI: 45.08% to 51.16%). The prevalence of depressive symptoms among nurses was 52.40% (95% CI: 47.87% to 56.93%) higher than doctors' 44.70% (95% CI: 10.64% to 48.77%) with the significant difference (chi(2) = 6.077, P = 0.014). Positive associations were found between the high effort-low reward, level of work-related over commitment and depressive symptoms (OR = 1.859, 95% CI: 1.337 to 2.585; OR = 2.207, 95% CI: 1.656 to 2.942) among healthcare workers, respectively. CONCLUSION: The high effort-low reward and the work-related over-commitment have a negative impact on healthcare workers' health.

[Comment on "the reliability and validity of the effort-reward imbalance - the Chinese version"].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate reliability and validity of the effort-reward imbalance (ERI) in the Chinese version. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted comprising a large sample of 4782 subjects in China, using ERI in the Chinese version. This scale contained 23 scaled items while the questionnaire including questions on the effort and reward at work, over-commitment, the full CES-D scale of depression and a range of other characteristics. Reliability analysis was applied to evaluate reliability of the ERI scale in the Chinese version and factor analysis was applied to analyze validity of the scale. RESULTS: Theoretical hypothesis on the ERI model was supported by the data derived in this study. Reliability and validity of the effort sub-scale, the reward sub-scale of the ERI scale in the Chinese version seemed to be better, but reliability and validity of the over-commitment sub-scale were not perfect. CONCLUSION: The results of the study showed that the effort sub-scale, the reward sub-scale of the ERI in the Chinese version was applicable to the Chinese population but the scaled items of the over-commitment sub-scale should be further modified.