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Table 1 Chinese medicine patterns of systemic arterial hypertension

From: Zangfu zheng (patterns) are associated with clinical manifestations of zang shang (target-organ damage) in arterial hypertension

Examination method

Manifestations

Patterns

Target-organs

Inspection

Flushed face

A[8, 24]

*

Grease and thick coating

C[8, 24]

CVD[51], HD[51]

Pale tongue

E[8, 24]

KD[43, 53]

Peeled tongue

B[24]

*

Red eyes

A[8]

CVD[40], KD[41]

Red tongue

A[10, 24], B[8, 24]

*

Yellow coating

A[8, 24]

CVD[51], HD[51]

Auscultation-Olfaction

Aphasia

D[8]

CVD[47, 43]

Shortness of breath

E[8, 24]

HD[47, 43]

Inquiry

Blurred vision

B[8, 24]

CVD[47], KD[44]

Congested feeling in the chest

C[8, 24]

HD[47]

Constipation

A[8, 24]

KD[45]

Convulsions

D[8]

CVD[44, 43]

Dizziness

B[8, 24], C[8], E[24]

CVD[47]

Excessive dreaming

B[8]

*

Fainting

D[8]

CVD[44]

Frequent nocturnal urination

E[8, 24]

KD[44]

Headache

A[8, 10, 24], B[24], D[8]

CVD[47, 44], KD[44]

Heavy limbs sensation

C[8]

CVD[52]

Impotence

E[8, 24]

*

Insomnia

B[8, 24]

CVD[48], HD[48], KD[48]

Irritability

A[8, 10, 24]

*

Mental fatigue

E[8, 24]

KD[45]

Nausea

C[8, 24]

CVD[44, 43], KD[46]

Numbness in feet and hands

E[8]

CVD[47, 43]

Numbness in the limbs

B[8, 24], C[8]

CVD[47, 43]

Palpitation

C[8]

HD[47, 43]

Severe dizziness

D[8, 24]

CVD[47]

Stroke

D[8]

CVD[47, 43]

Tinnitus

A[10], B[8, 24], E[8, 24]

CVD[42]

Vomiting

C[8]

CVD[52], KD[46]

Weak legs

E[8]

CVD[47, 43], KD[44]

Palpation

Deep pulse

E[8, 24]

*

Fast pulse

A[8, 24], B[8, 24]

HD[47]

Slippery pulse

C[8, 24]

*

Strong pulse

A[8]

*

Thin pulse

B[8],24, E[8, 24]

*

Wiry pulse

A[8, 10, 24], B[8, 24], C[8], D[24]

*

  1. Chinese medicine classification and description of patterns and respective target-organs related to hypertension.
  2. Legends: A: Liver-fire blazing upwards; B: Kidney-yin deficiency and Liver-yang rising; C: Obstruction of phlegm and dampness of Heart/Liver/Gallbladder; D: Qi and blood deficiency leading to Liver-yang rising; E: Kidney-yin/yang deficiency; CVD: cerebrovascular and eye disease; HD: heart disease; KD: kidney disease. Manifestations not considered as related to specific target-organs were marked as * and were not used for inference about target-organ damage.