This study aimed to identify core herbal combinations for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) treatment from multiple senior Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) experts. We analyzed prescription data from 4,729 RA inpatients using constrained frequent closed itemset mining. The results revealed distinct core prescriptions from different experts, such as strategies focused on reinforcing the spleen, warming the kidney, activating blood circulation, and clearing heat. These combinations reflect the TCM principle of “treating the same disease with different methods” and are suited for specific clinical patterns of RA. This data-driven approach provides a foundation for standardizing TCM diagnosis and treatment and advancing precision medicine for RA.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by underlying pathological manifestations such as synovitis and abnormalities in blood vessels. To retrospectively analyze the correlation between medication use and Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) changes in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) treated with Chinese herbal medicine or Western medicine injections at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine, evaluating the clinical impact of these medications on ESR reduction. Medical records of 440 RA patients hospitalized in the Rheumatology and Immunology Department of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine between November 2019 and January 2025, who received combination therapy with Chinese herbal medicine or Western medicine injections, were collected. ESR levels before and after treatment were compared, and the correlation between the use of specific Chinese herbs or Western medicine injections and ESR reduction was analyzed. Compared to pre-treatment levels, the ESR levels in the 440 RA patients significantly decreased after treatment, with a statistically significant difference$(P<0.05)$. Specifically, ESR decreased from$(53.63 \pm 29.96)$mm/h before treatment to$(29.85 \not \leq 23.30) \text{mm} / \mathrm{h}$after treatment. The use of Mulberry Leaf (Sang Ye), Ophiopogon Root (Mai Dong), Trichosanthes Root (Tian Hua Fen), Glehnia Root (Bei Sha Shen), Lidocaine Hydrochloride Injection, Insulin Injection, Sodium Hyaluronate Injection, and Compound Betamethasone Injection showed a positive correlation with ESR reduction. Conversely, the use of Prepared Aconite Root (Fu Zi), Forsythia Fruit (Lian Qiao), Astragalus Root (Huang Qi), Pueraria Root (Ge Gen), and Fresh Ginger (Sheng Jiang) showed a negative correlation with ESR reduction. This retrospective analysis suggests that Mulberry Leaf (Sang Ye), Ophiopogon Root (Mai Dong), Trichosanthes Root (Tian Hua Fen), Glehnia Root (Bei Sha Shen), and Compound Betamethasone Injection can significantly reduce ESR levels in RA patients, effectively suppressing inflammatory responses, and are worthy of clinical application.

Background: Acupuncture is recognized as a major form of Complementary Medicine (CM) in the West and is part of the national healthcare systems in many Asian countries. In South Africa, TCM, which includes acupuncture, falls under the category of CM. While studies on CM usage in South Africa exist, there is a lack of research focusing specifically on patients' knowledge, opinions, and experiences with acupuncture. This study aimed to investigate these aspects among patients attending the University of the Western Cape (UWC) School of Natural Medicine (SNM) Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture (CMA) clinics. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted using a quantitative research method. The research took place at the UWC SNM CMA clinics located on the main campus and other associated sites. The study population included patients aged 18 and above who had received at least one acupuncture treatment. Patients who had never had acupuncture or failed to complete the questionnaire were excluded. Data was collected between 2019 and 2024 using a self-administered questionnaire adapted from a similar UK study. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Biomedical Research Ethics Committe 源 找 ! 未 找 到 引 用 源 。. Data analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel to generate descriptive statistics, with results presented in percentages. Results: A total of 204 questionnaires were collected, with 197 deemed valid for analysis after excluding incomplete forms. Demographics: The majority of participants were female (65%). A significant portion (43%) belonged to the 18-35 age group, with the 56-65 age group being the second largest (22%). This contrasts with other studies where the average age was higher, a difference potentially attributable to the university-based clinic settings. Knowledge and Experience: A high percentage of patients (89%) had heard of acupuncture before visiting the clinic, while 62% knew what the treatment involved. The primary source of information was “word of mouth” (68%), followed by referrals (17%) and media (14%). Among referrals, 45% came from physiotherapists and 27% from General Practitioners (GPs). A vast majority of patients (97%) found the treatment effective, and 95% stated they would have tried it earlier if it had been recommended by their GP. Opinions: Patients perceived acupuncture as effective for a wide range of conditions. When conditions were categorized, pain-related issues were the most cited, representing 35% of all responses. Notably, 100% of participants across all age groups believed acupuncture was effective for treating pain. Psychological disorders were the second most selected category (21%), with the highest prevalence among the 18-25 age group (79%) and the 26-35 age group (71%). Conclusion: The findings indicate a high level of general awareness but less detailed knowledge about the specifics of acupuncture treatment among patients at the UWC clinics. The study highlights the significant role of informal networks (“word of mouth”) in disseminating information. There is an overwhelmingly positive perception of acupuncture's effectiveness, particularly for pain management. The strong willingness of patients to try acupuncture based on a GP's recommendation suggests that increased engagement from primary care physicians could lead to earlier adoption of the therapy. The demographic profile, characterized by a younger patient base, reflects the unique university setting and points to a growing acceptance of acupuncture among young adults, especially for psychological conditions like stress and anxiety.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by underlying pathological manifestations such as synovitis and abnormalities in blood vessels. By mining the real electronic medical record data of RA patients, this paper divides the respondents into glucocorticoid group and non-glucocorticoid group, then describes the use of traditional Chinese and Western medicines in RA patients. Subsequently, the article analyzes the differences in medication frequency between the two groups. The results indicate that Atractylodes macrocephalus, Zhimu, Tripterygium wilfordii polysaccharide tablets, Xiangdan Injection, Danshen Injection, and Rhodiola Rosea Dazhu Injection were used more frequently in the glucocorticoid group. Additionally, the frequency of Western medicine use was generally higher in the glucocorticoid group compared to the non-glucocorticoid group, and this difference was statistically significant. In summary, the primary medications used for RA patients are Western medicines, supplemented by traditional Chinese medicines. Western medicines primarily exert anti-inflammatory effects, while traditional Chinese medicines can enhance the efficacy of RA treatment and reduce the incidence of osteoporosis..

This study utilized electronic medical record data of RA inpatients to ascertain potential risk factors associated with patient readmission. Specifically, the investigation concentrated on the impact of various Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndromes, comorbidities, interactions between TCM syndromes and comorbidities, as well as interactions among comorbidities themselves, on the likelihood of hospital readmission among RA patients. The present study employed logistic regression analysis to examine the interaction between dichotomous variables. The findings revealed that individuals diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and experiencing arthralgia caused by wind-cold-dampness, in addition to hyperlipidemia, exhibited a heightened likelihood of hospital readmission. Similarly, RA patients with hyperlipidemia and the syndrome of dampness-heat blocking collaterals were found to be at an even greater risk of readmission. Furthermore, individuals with RA and comorbidities such as atherosclerosis and chronic gastritis were identified as being at a high risk of readmission. Lastly, RA patients with hyperlipidemia and fatty liver were also found to have an increased likelihood of being readmitted to the hospital. Hence, it is advisable to closely monitor the disease progression among the aforementioned population and implement essential interventions in clinical practice to mitigate the readmission rate of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), consequently alleviating the disease and economic burdens experienced by patients.

Objective: To study the phenotypic characteristics of the combination of disease and syndrome of COPD. Methods: Structured clinical EMRs of inpatients in the respiratory department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine for a total of 10 years from 2010 to 2019 were collected. Patients with COPD in Western medicine diagnosis on admission or discharge were used as the study subjects. A Heterogeneous Medical Record network based on COPD patients was constructed. Then, the K-means clustering algorithm was used to divide the supplemented patient medical record feature matrix into different modules (ie, subtypes), and enrichment analysis was performed on the phenotypes characteristics of different modules to determine the typical clinical phenotypes characteristics of different modules. Results: After the analysis of different phenotypic characteristics of COPD patients, it was found that the phenotypic characteristics of COPD patients were diverse. The prominent manifestation is that COPD patients often have diseases and symptoms other than respiratory system, and more than 70% of them have 2-6 different diseases. Through cluster study and analysis of each subtype of COPD patients revealed that each module has its own unique core characteristics. Conclusions: After the analysis of different phenotypic characteristics of COPD patients, it was found that the phenotypic characteristics of COPD patients were diverse, and each subtype has its own unique core characteristics.

Objective: To propose a frequent closed itemsets mining method based on item constraints to study the combination rules between symptoms, diagnoses, and herbs in clinical data of TCM. Methods: Based on the Charm algorithm, prune the itemsets which do not meet the constraint conditions firstly, design a constraint based frequent closed itemsets mining algorithm, which was used on the clinical dataset of TCM to confirm the effectiveness of the method and the clinical significance of the mining results. Results: Based on the Charm algorithm, a constraint based frequent closed itemsets mining algorithm was proposed. The results of the method for mining frequent closed itemsets from data of symptom, diagnosis and herbs were consistent with the relevant theories of TCM.Conclusion: The combination of constraint conditions and frequent closed itemsets mining methods can effectively reduce the mining space. Using constraint based frequent closed itemsets mining methods to mine the combination rules between symptoms, diagnosis, and herbs in TCM clinical data maybe helpful for assisting clinical diagnosis and treatment.