Short-Term Effects of <i>Mahuang</i> on State-Trait Anxiety According to <i>Sasang</i> Constitution Classification : A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial

Hsing, Li-chang; Yang, Chang-sop; Lee, Tae-ho; Kim, Lak-hyung; Kwak, Min-jung; Seo, Eui-seok; Jang, In-soo

The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine > Volume 28(1); 2007 > Article

Original Article

The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine 2007;28(1): 106-114.

마황 단기복용이 사상체질인의 불안에 미치는 영향 : 이중맹검 임상시험

형례창, 양창섭, 이태호, 김락형, 곽민정, 서의석, 장인수

¹우석대학교 한의과대학 한방내과학교실
²한방신경정신과학교실
³평택대학교 정보통계학과

Short-Term Effects of Mahuang on State-Trait Anxiety According to Sasang Constitution Classification : A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial

Li-chang Hsing, Chang-sop Yang, Tae-ho Lee, Lak-hyung Kim, Min-jung Kwak, Eui-seok Seo, In-soo Jang

¹Department of Internal Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Woosuk University
²Department of Oriental Neuropsychiatry College of Korean Medicine, Woosuk University
³Dept. of information Statistics, Pyongtaek University

Correspondence

In-soo Jang ,Tel: 063-220-8608, Fax: 063-220-8616, Email: kmdjang@woosuk.ac.kr

Published online: March 30, 2007.

ABSTRACT

Background:
Mahuang (Ephedrae Herba, Ephedra sinica S_TAPF) has been widely used to treat respiratory disease in Asian over the past thousand years. The main ingredient of Mahuang is ephedrine, whose affects on the autonomic nervous system induce some adverse effects like vasoconstriction, hypertension, tachycardia, miosis, insomnia, dizziness, headache, etc. Although there were lots of reports about adverse effects of Mahuang, there were no clinical studies which evaluated the adverse effects of Mahuang on the autonomic nervous system by objective numerical value in the past decade.

Objectives:
The purpose of this report was to provide an objective assessment of state-trait anxiety that is caused by Mahuang, and to identify anxiety of Mahuang according to different Sasang constitution classifications.

Methods :
The study design was a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial. The subjects of this study were 79 adults aged between 20 to 40 who agreed to participate. Because 8 adults dropped out, a total of 71 subjects entered the study. They were allocated through randomization to a Mahuang group (N=50) and placebo group (N=21). Each group took three opaque capsules (every opaque capsule containing 2g of Mahuang or none) twice a day. To compare the state and trait anxiety before and after taking Mahuang, we checked the anxiety by using STAI-KYZ.

Results:
The following results were obtained. Short-term administration of Mahuang significantly increased state-anxiety, but in the placebo group, there were no significant changes in state-anxiety. In the Mahuang group except females, there was more significant increase in state-anxiety of Soeumin than Soyangin and Taeumin in the 2nd measurement.

Conclusion:
It is suggested that the ingestion of Mahuang can increase sympathetic activity and induce anxiety. There was a significant difference among Sasang constitution classification. Especially, the response is stronger in Soeumin than other constitutions. If we use Mahuang according to the Sasang constitution classification in clinic, we could not only minimize the anxiety but maximize the potential curative value.

Key words: Mahuang, Ephedra, State Anxiety, Trait Anxiety, STAI, Sasang constitution.