A Cross-sectional Study on Differences in Blood Homocysteine Levels of Acute Cerebral Infarction Patients Categorized by <i>Sasang</i> Constitutional Medicine

Min, In-kyu; Kim, Mi-young; Choi, Won-woo; Sun, Jong-joo; Jung, Jae-han; Hong, Jin-woo; Na, Byong-jo; Jung, Woo-sang; Moon, Sang-kwan; Cho, Ki-ho

The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine > Volume 28(4); 2007 > Article

Original Article

The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine 2007;28(4): 763-768.

급성기 뇌경색 환자의 사상체질별 혈중 Homocysteine 농도에 대한 단면적 연구

민인규, 김미영, 최원우, 선종주, 정재한, 홍진우, 나병조, 정우상, 문상관, 조기호

경희대학교 한의과대학 2내과학교실

A Cross-sectional Study on Differences in Blood Homocysteine Levels of Acute Cerebral Infarction Patients Categorized by Sasang Constitutional Medicine

In-kyu Min, Mi-young Kim, Won-woo Choi, Jong-joo Sun, Jae-han Jung, Jin-woo Hong, Byong-jo Na, Woo-sang Jung, Sang-kwan Moon, Ki-ho Cho

Dept. of Cardiocascular & Neurologic Disease(Stroke center), College of Oriental medicine, Kyunghee University

Correspondence

Ki-ho Cho ,Tel: 02-958-9124, Fax: 02-958-9132, Email: dnsehdgkrl@hanmail.net

Published online: December 30, 2007.

ABSTRACT

Objectives:
This study aimed to clarify the difference in blood homocysteine levels of acute cerebral infarction patients categorized by Sasang constitutional medicine.

Methods :
The subjects were recruited from patients admitted to the Oriental Internal Medical Department at Kyunghee Medical Center between October 2005 and May 2007, who were classified as small vessel occlusion (SVO) patients according to the Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST). The general characteristics along with total homocysteine levels were recorded and analyzed according to Sasang constitutional medicine.

Results:
A total of 151 patients were included in the trial. The prevalence of constitution was, in order, Soyangin, Taeumin, and Soeumin. No statistical significance was noted for any characteristic except body weight. There was no significant difference in blood homocysteine levels between constitutions.

Conclusion:
This study investigated the difference in blood homocysteine levels of acute cerebral infarction patients categorized according to Sasang constitutional medicine. Due to many limitations, the correlation between homocysteine levels and Sasang constitution was not clarified. Nevertheless, this study is significant in that it examined the largest study group to date in Oriental Medicine research history on the relation between stroke patients' homocysteine and Sasang constitution, and can be utilized in future as a basic material. Further research on the subject is needed.

Key words: Stroke, Sasang constitution, Homocysteine, TOAST classification