Research On The Correlation Between The Features Of TCM Syndrome Elements And The Quality Of Life

Objective:To study the common causes of chronic cough and the features of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome elements in patients with chronic cough and clarify the correlation between the features of TCM syndrome elements and the quality of life.Methods:A total of183patients with chronic cough who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled in Zhangzhou affiliated TCM hospital of Fujian university of TCM respiratory department out-patient from September2012to March2014. A TCM syndromes scale for patients with chronic cough was modified according to the four diagnostic information collection form made by TCM syndromes research institution of Fujian University of TCM.TCM four diagnostic information in patients with chronic cough were collected. The syndrome elements of the disease location and the disease nature were extracted using the syndrome elements differentiation methods. Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ) were investigated in patients with chronic cough. LCQ each domain scores of the causes of chronic cough, the TCM disease location, the TCM disease nature were analyzed with mathematical statistical methods.Results:1.The common causes of chronic cough were upper airway cough syndrome (UACS), cough variant asthma (CVA), eosinophilic bronchitis (EB), gastroesophageal reflux cough (GERC), allergic cough (AC),86.41%in total.2.There were11syndrome elements of disease location in chronic cough, including the lung, the exterior, the liver, the kidney, the stomach, the spleen and so on. The total of frequency were367. There were25kinds of combining form of the syndrome elements of disease location, from a single disease location to six combinations, the total of frequency were173. The combining form of frequency more than4%were the single disease location of the lung, double combinations of the lung and the exterior, the lung and the liver, the lung and the stomach. LCQ scores in physiological fields, psychological fields and the total fields of the lung and the liver group were significant lower than those in the lung group (P<0.05, respectively). LCQ scores in physiological fields, psychological fields of the lung and the exterior group were significant lower than those in the lung group (P<0.05, repectively). 3.There were11syndrome elements of sthenia syndrome disease nature in chronic cough, including sputum, wet, qi stagnation, heat, cold, water, wind etc. The total of frequency were381. There were56kinds of combining form of the syndrome elements of sthenia syndrome disease nature, from a single disease nature to seven combinations, the total of frequency were164. The combining form of frequency more than4%were single syndrome element of disease nature of sputum, double combinations of sputum and qi stagnation, sputum and wet, sputum and heat. LCQ score in psychological fields of sputum and qi stagnation group was significant lower than that in the sputum group,sputum and wet group (P<0.05, respectively).4.There were5syndrome elements of deficiency syndrome in chronic cough, including Yang deficiency, Yin deficiency, Qi deficiency etc. The total of frequency were190. There were12kinds of syndrome elements of deficiency syndrome combining form, from a single disease nature to four combinations, the total of frequency were103. The combining form of frequency more than4%were single disease nature of Yang deficiency, Yin deficiency, Qi deficiency, double combinations of Qi deficiency and Yin deficiency, three combinations of Qi deficiency and Yin deficiency and Yang deficiency and so on, four combinations of Qi deficiency and Yin deficiency and blood deficiency andYang deficiency. LCQ scores in the Qi deficiency and Yin deficiency and Yang deficiency group were the lowest in the physiological fields, social fields and the total. LCQ scores in the Qi deficiency and blood deficiency and Yang deficiency group were lower than those in other groups. Conclusion:1.The common causes of chronic cough were CVA, UACS, EB, GERC, AC. All kinds of the causes affected the quality of life in patients with chronic cough in some extent.2.The disease location syndrome in chronic cough was mainly in the lung, and often with the exterior, the liver, the kidney, the stomach. The quality of life were impacted significantly in combinations of disease locations such as the lung and the liver or the lung and the exterior compared with the single disease location. The results indicated that dispersing the lung to relieve cough and considering to dispelling liver or relieving exterior in the same time may improve the clinical efficacy and the quality of life.3.The syndrome element of sthenia syndrome in chronic cough mainly was sputum, and often with Qi stagnation, wet, heat. The common syndrome elements of deficiency syndrome were the Yang deficiency, Yin deficiency, Qi deficiency, and they often combinated miscellaneously. The quality of life was impacted obviously in patients with chornic cough with sputum obstruct and qi stagnation. The result indicated that resolveing phlegm and regulating Qi simultaneously in clinic could improve the patients’ quality of life.