Clinical Features and Rules of Chinese Herbal Medicine in Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Patients

Jindong Zhao; Yan Li; Ling Xin; Min Sun; Chanjuan Yu; Guobin Shi; Taotao Bao; Jian Liu; Yingqun Ni; RuiMin Lu; Yuanyuan Wu; Zhaohui Fang

doi:10.1155/2020/5795264

Clinical Features and Rules of Chinese Herbal Medicine in Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Patients

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020 Jul 17:2020:5795264. doi: 10.1155/2020/5795264. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Jindong Zhao¹, Yan Li², Ling Xin³, Min Sun⁴, Chanjuan Yu¹, Guobin Shi¹, Taotao Bao¹, Jian Liu¹, Yingqun Ni¹, RuiMin Lu¹, Yuanyuan Wu¹, Zhaohui Fang¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Endocrine Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230031, China.
² Department of Infectious Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230031, China.
³ Department of Information, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230031, China.
⁴ School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei 230039, China.

Abstract

Objective: To analyse the clinical features of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and employ data mining technology to explore the rules of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) therapy.

Methods: The clinical data of 216 patients with DPN and qi-yin deficiency syndrome were obtained, and the clinical features of the patients were assessed by cluster analysis. Relevant information was entered into the clinical diagnosis and treatment collection system, and data mining techniques were used to analyse the drug frequency, core CHM, CHM pair, and so on.

Results: In this study, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and homocysteine (HCY) were closely related to the pathogenesis of DPN. Overall, 162 patients had typical DPN syndrome characteristics, and we analysed 216 prescriptions, including 182 CHM. The frequencies of prescription of Astragalus membranaceus, Ligusticum wallichii, Poria cocos, and Radix Rehmanniae were greater than 45%. A Bayesian network analysis diagram showed that the 9 most common core CHM included Astragalus membranaceus, Ligusticum wallichii, Poria cocos, atractylodes rhizome, and Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. According to the association rules of CHM, Radix Ophiopogon is used for Codonopsis pilosula; Astragalus membranaceus and atractylodes rhizome for Rehmannia are also frequently used. Astragalus membranaceus and Cinnamomi Ramulus or Ligusticum wallichii and Moutan bark were highly related to a decreased Michigan Diabetic Neuropathy Score.

Conclusion: HbA1c and HCY are related risk factors for DPN. Numbness is a typical syndrome characteristic. Astragalus membranaceus is a monarch CHM and is used most frequently.