Clipping Board » Research Report ─ The latest medical research reports and related news.
Update Date: "2011/02/16 04:11" Liberty Times Reporter Fang Zhixian / Kaohsiung Report
The research team at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital conducted a retrospective cohort analysis on the early intervention of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) acupuncture for ischemic stroke patients. The study showed that it not only improved survival rates but also reduced the incidence of complications.
**Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Treatment Gains International Attention**
This is one of the few clinical studies in Taiwan on the combined treatment of stroke using Chinese and Western medicine. The report has been accepted for publication in the British Oxford University journal *Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (eCAM)*.
Dr. Qiu Xianxue, an attending physician in the TCM department at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, stated that in the past, people seeking TCM for stroke treatment often did so only during the rehabilitation phase. However, after advocacy by the National Union of Chinese Medical Doctors' Associations, the National Health Insurance Administration launched the "Pilot Program for TCM-Assisted Treatment of Cerebrovascular Diseases in Western Hospitalized Patients" in 2006, providing integrated Chinese and Western medical care for stroke inpatients.
Dr. Qiu explained that the study retrospectively analyzed 4,064 acute and chronic stroke inpatients treated in the neurology and neurosurgery departments of Kaohsiung Chang Gung from 2006 to 2008. Among the 273 patients who applied for TCM treatment, 26 were ischemic stroke patients who received early acupuncture intervention. These patients were randomly matched by gender and age with 52 control group patients who did not receive acupuncture.
The study revealed that, based on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) assessment, those who received acupuncture were moderate to severe stroke patients, while the control group mostly consisted of mild to moderate cases. Acupuncture-treated patients received three sessions per week, with an average of about seven sessions per treatment course.
Dr. Qiu noted that the analysis found no deaths in the acupuncture group during hospitalization, whereas three deaths occurred in the control group. Within six months after discharge, two patients in the acupuncture group and seven in the control group were rehospitalized due to other illnesses. Additionally, during the six-month follow-up after discharge, no deaths occurred in the acupuncture group, while two deaths were recorded in the control group.
The study also found that patients who received acupuncture experienced fewer complications such as urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and gastrointestinal bleeding. Dr. Zhang Guzhou, a neurologist at Kaohsiung Chang Gung, added that the research demonstrates the benefits of TCM acupuncture for stroke patients. While the limited data available preliminarily confirms its effectiveness, larger-scale studies are needed to support these findings and benefit a broader population of stroke patients.
Dr. Qiu emphasized that this is the world's first pilot program for integrated Chinese and Western medicine treatment of cerebrovascular diseases supported by national health policy. The Health Promotion Administration is also implementing other integrated treatment programs. More research is still needed in the future to validate the advantages and efficacy of combined Chinese and Western medical approaches.
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ art……url/ d/ a/ 110216/ 78/ 2mhno. html
Acupuncture Boosts Stroke Survival Rate
The research team at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital conducted a retrospective cohort analysis on the early intervention of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) acupuncture for ischemic stroke patients. The study showed that it not only improved survival rates but also reduced the incidence of complications.
**Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Treatment Gains International Attention**
This is one of the few clinical studies in Taiwan on the combined treatment of stroke using Chinese and Western medicine. The report has been accepted for publication in the British Oxford University journal *Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (eCAM)*.
Dr. Qiu Xianxue, an attending physician in the TCM department at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, stated that in the past, people seeking TCM for stroke treatment often did so only during the rehabilitation phase. However, after advocacy by the National Union of Chinese Medical Doctors' Associations, the National Health Insurance Administration launched the "Pilot Program for TCM-Assisted Treatment of Cerebrovascular Diseases in Western Hospitalized Patients" in 2006, providing integrated Chinese and Western medical care for stroke inpatients.
Dr. Qiu explained that the study retrospectively analyzed 4,064 acute and chronic stroke inpatients treated in the neurology and neurosurgery departments of Kaohsiung Chang Gung from 2006 to 2008. Among the 273 patients who applied for TCM treatment, 26 were ischemic stroke patients who received early acupuncture intervention. These patients were randomly matched by gender and age with 52 control group patients who did not receive acupuncture.
The study revealed that, based on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) assessment, those who received acupuncture were moderate to severe stroke patients, while the control group mostly consisted of mild to moderate cases. Acupuncture-treated patients received three sessions per week, with an average of about seven sessions per treatment course.
Dr. Qiu noted that the analysis found no deaths in the acupuncture group during hospitalization, whereas three deaths occurred in the control group. Within six months after discharge, two patients in the acupuncture group and seven in the control group were rehospitalized due to other illnesses. Additionally, during the six-month follow-up after discharge, no deaths occurred in the acupuncture group, while two deaths were recorded in the control group.
The study also found that patients who received acupuncture experienced fewer complications such as urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and gastrointestinal bleeding. Dr. Zhang Guzhou, a neurologist at Kaohsiung Chang Gung, added that the research demonstrates the benefits of TCM acupuncture for stroke patients. While the limited data available preliminarily confirms its effectiveness, larger-scale studies are needed to support these findings and benefit a broader population of stroke patients.
Dr. Qiu emphasized that this is the world's first pilot program for integrated Chinese and Western medicine treatment of cerebrovascular diseases supported by national health policy. The Health Promotion Administration is also implementing other integrated treatment programs. More research is still needed in the future to validate the advantages and efficacy of combined Chinese and Western medical approaches.
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ art……url/ d/ a/ 110216/ 78/ 2mhno. html