Clinical observation on edema based on the thermal sensitivity measurement method

doi:10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.2025.03.017

Abstract

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: To observe and analysis of the influence of the 12 meridians on edema, the constant value of the detection of the thermal sensitivity was further verified, which provided a basis for the diagnosis and identification of edema by the thermal sensitivity measurement method.
METHODS: A total of 1426 patients who attended Doshisha University in Japan and Xi'an Chengxintang Clinic from March 2019 to March 2023 were selected for observation and analysis and divided into 3 groups according to their diseases; 112 patients with edema in Group 1, 488 symptomatic patients with non-edema in Group 2, and 826 asymptomatic subjects in Group 3. The Thermal Sensitivity Measurement was conducted in the twelve meridians and compared among the groups. Multivariate analysis was performed to estimate meridians useful for diagnosing edema.
RESULTS: In the healthy physiological state, the value of thermal sensitivity is relatively constant, which may be affected by age factors. Through the stepwise analysis, left Taiyin lung, right Jueyin pericardium, left Shaoyang Sanjiao, bilateral Jueyin liver, right Shaoyang gallbladder, right Taiyang bladder, and right Shaoyin kidney were extracted as effective meridians for diagnosing edema. Its accuracy was high, with receiver operating characteristic, area under the curve (ROC AUC) of 96%. These findings were not incompatible with the edema-associated meridians in the Traditional Chinese Medicine.
CONCLUSION: The thermal sensitivity measurement is thought to be useful in diagnosing edema and predicting prognosis by combining appropriate meridians. In the future, we will conduct more detailed research on how this method is useful for evaluating medical care and acupuncture treatments.

Key words: edema, meridians, thermal sensitivity, sub-cold, sub-heat

TIAN Zheng, DU Jing, LIAO Wenhao, LU Jixiang, Masayuki Yagi, Yoshikazu Yonei. Clinical observation on edema based on the thermal sensitivity measurement method[J]. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2025, 45(3): 639-650.

Figures/Tables 11

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Variable		Group 1 (with edema) (n = 112)		Group 2 (n = 488)		Group 3 (n = 826)
Variable		Mean	95% CI	Mean	95% CI	Mean	95% CI
Age (years)	Total	46.3	10.0, 83.0	44.5	4.5, 91.0	44.1	43.3, 45.2
	Male	45.2	10.0, 83.0	45.9	4.5, 91.0	44.9	43.1, 46.7
	Female	46.6	16.0, 77.0	43.6^a	5.0, 81.0	43.6^a	42.5, 44.7
Height (cm)	Total	164.7	143.0, 185.0	165.2	108.0, 188.0	165.3	164.8, 166.6
	Male	172.9	143.0, 185.0	171.9	108.0, 188.0	172.9	172.0, 173.8
	Female	162.2	152.0, 173.0	160.9	109.0, 178.0	164.1	158.6, 169.7
Weight (kg)	Total	63.4	29.6, 99.7	64.3	16.7, 119.6	61.7	61.3, 63.3
	Male	76.4	29.6, 99.7	74.4	20.0, 119.6	71.2	69.5, 72.8
	Female	59.5	41.0, 81.2	57.9	16.7, 102.6	56.2^c	55.3, 57.1
BMI	Total	23.3	14.5, 31.8	23.5	14.8, 39.1	29.9^b	19.5, 35.9
	Male	25.3	14.5, 31.8	25.2	16.1, 38.6	23.7^a	23.2, 24.1
	Female	22.6	16.0, 29.5	22.4	14.8, 39.1	21.5^c	21.2, 21.8

Variable		Group 1 (with edema) (n = 112)		Group 2 (n = 488)		Group 3 (n = 826)
Variable		Mean	95% CI	Mean	95% CI	Mean	95% CI
Age (years)	Total	46.3	10.0, 83.0	44.5	4.5, 91.0	44.1	43.3, 45.2
	Male	45.2	10.0, 83.0	45.9	4.5, 91.0	44.9	43.1, 46.7
	Female	46.6	16.0, 77.0	43.6^a	5.0, 81.0	43.6^a	42.5, 44.7
Height (cm)	Total	164.7	143.0, 185.0	165.2	108.0, 188.0	165.3	164.8, 166.6
	Male	172.9	143.0, 185.0	171.9	108.0, 188.0	172.9	172.0, 173.8
	Female	162.2	152.0, 173.0	160.9	109.0, 178.0	164.1	158.6, 169.7
Weight (kg)	Total	63.4	29.6, 99.7	64.3	16.7, 119.6	61.7	61.3, 63.3
	Male	76.4	29.6, 99.7	74.4	20.0, 119.6	71.2	69.5, 72.8
	Female	59.5	41.0, 81.2	57.9	16.7, 102.6	56.2^c	55.3, 57.1
BMI	Total	23.3	14.5, 31.8	23.5	14.8, 39.1	29.9^b	19.5, 35.9
	Male	25.3	14.5, 31.8	25.2	16.1, 38.6	23.7^a	23.2, 24.1
	Female	22.6	16.0, 29.5	22.4	14.8, 39.1	21.5^c	21.2, 21.8

Variable	Group 1 (n = 112)			Group 2 (n = 488)				Group 3 (n = 826)
Variable	Total	Male	Female	Total	Male	Female		Total	Male	Female
Number	112	26	86	488	190	298	826		296	530
Edema	112	26	86	0	0	0	0		0	0
Constipation	10	1	9	57	14	43	0		0	0
Insomnia	11	2	9	96	40	56	0		0	0
Nephropathy	40	12	28	163	72	91	0		0	0
Gastritis	8	1	7	38	1	37	0		0	0
Cardiac disease	68	10	58	259	94	165	0		0	0
Diabetes	3	1	2	15	7	8	0		0	0

Variable	Group 1 (n = 112)			Group 2 (n = 488)				Group 3 (n = 826)
Variable	Total	Male	Female	Total	Male	Female		Total	Male	Female
Number	112	26	86	488	190	298	826		296	530
Edema	112	26	86	0	0	0	0		0	0
Constipation	10	1	9	57	14	43	0		0	0
Insomnia	11	2	9	96	40	56	0		0	0
Nephropathy	40	12	28	163	72	91	0		0	0
Gastritis	8	1	7	38	1	37	0		0	0
Cardiac disease	68	10	58	259	94	165	0		0	0
Diabetes	3	1	2	15	7	8	0		0	0

Meridian	Abbreviation		Group 1 (with edema) (n = 112)		Group 2 (n = 488)		Group 3 (n = 826)
Meridian	Abbreviation		Mean	95% CI	Mean	95% CI	Mean	95% CI
Lung	LU	left	7.3	6.6, 7.9	7.8	7.5, 8.2	13.4^a	13.4, 14.0
		right	7.3	6.2, 8.3	8.0	7.5, 8.5	14.5^a	14.5, 15.2
Large Intestine	LI	left	6.7	6.0, 7.4	7.6	7.3, 7.9	12.5^a	12.5, 13.1
		right	6.9	5.9, 8.0	7.6	7.2, 8.0	13.3^a	13.3, 13.9
Pericardium	PC	left	6.9	6.3, 7.5	7.9	7.4, 8.3	11.8^a	11.8, 12.2
		right	6.7	6.1, 7.3	7.7	7.4, 8.1	13.2^a	13.2, 13.6
Sanjiao	SJ	left	6.8	6.2, 7.3	7.4	7.0, 7.7	13.5^a	13.5, 14.1
		right	6.9	6.2, 7.6	7.7	7.3, 8.0	11.3^a	11.3, 11.8
Heart	HT	left	7.0	5.9, 8.0	7.3	7.0, 7.6	11.9^a	11.9, 12.4
		right	6.8	6.0, 7.6	7.3	6.9, 7.7	12.3^a	12.3, 12.8
Small Intestine	SI	left	6.7	5.7, 7.7	6.9	6.6, 7.3	14.1^a	14.1, 14.8
		right	6.4	5.8, 7.0	7.3	7.0, 7.7	12.3^a	12.3, 13.0
Spleen	SP	left	9.8	8.5, 11.1	10.2	9.7, 10.8	14.1^a	14.1, 14.6
		right	9.3	8.4, 10.2	10.5	9.9, 11.1	15.9^a	15.9, 16.5
Liver	LR	left	8.3	7.6, 9.0	9.1	8.7, 9.5	14.7^a	14.7, 15.2
		right	8.0	7.2, 8.7	8.7	8.2, 9.1	12.2^a	12.2, 12.7
Stomach	ST	left	8.4	7.7, 9.2	9.6	9.0, 10.2	14.5^a	14.5, 15.0
		right	8.0	7.3, 8.7	9.4	8.9, 9.9	13.6^a	13.6, 14.1
Gallbladder	GB	left	10.3	9.0, 11.5	10.6	10.0, 11.1	15.3^a	15.3, 15.9
		right	9.3	8.4, 10.1	10.4	9.8, 11.0	14.8^a	14.8, 15.4
Bladder	BL	left	13.4	11.8, 15.0	15.0	14.2, 15.9	18.0^b	18.0, 18.7
		right	14.2	12.2, 16.2	14.7	13.8, 15.7	17.5	17.5, 18.2
Kidney	KI	left	15.4	13.5, 17.4	17.5	16.6, 18.5	18.1	18.1, 18.7
		right	16.2	14.2, 18.1	16.6	15.7, 17.5	16.6^c	16.6, 17.2

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