Here's a quick summary of two articles I recently read...thought you might be interested.

Diabetic Retinopathy (DR)

According to Gao Bei-zhi on pages 325-326 of issue #5, 2008 of Bei Jing Zhong Yi Yao (Beijing Chinese Medicine & Pharmacology), the root disease mechanism of diabetic retinopathy (DR) is vacuity. This vacuity may be one of qi, blood, yin, and/or yang. In Dr. Gao’s experience, in late-stage DR, there is typically a qi and yin dual vacuity with or without yang vacuity. In addition, there may or may not be blood stasis.

Follow up:

Dr. Gao’s basic formula for DR consists of:

Huang Qi (Radix Astragali), 30g
Tai Zi Shen (Radix Pseudostellariae), 15g
Mai Men Dong (Tuber Ophiopogonis), 12g
Sheng Di Huang (uncooked Radix Rehmanniae), 20g
Huang Jing (Rhizoma Polygonati), 15g
Dang Gui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis), 15g
Dan Shen (Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae), 15g
Gou Qi Zi (Fructus Lycii), 15g
San Qi (Radix Notoginseng), 3g

If qi vacuity is more serious than yin vacuity, Dr. Gao doubles the amount of Huang Qi or also adds 20 grams of mix-fried Huang Qi.

If yin vacuity is more serious than qi vacuity, Dr. Gao adds 15 grams each of Tian Men Dong (Tuber Asparagi) and Sha Shen (Radix Glehniae).

If there is mainly yang vacuity, Dr. Gao adds 10 grams each of Rhizoma Chuanxiong (Chuan Xiong) and Gui Zhi (Ramulus Cinnamomi).

If there are loose stools, he adds 10 grams each of Xian Ling Pi (Herba Epimedii) and Cang Zhu (Rhizoma Atractylodis).

If there is corpus vitreum turbidity, he adds 15 grams of Hei Zhi Ma (Semen Sesami Indici) and 10 grams each of Sang Ye (Folium Mori) and Xia Ku Cao (Spica Prunellae).

C-reactive Protein (CRP), Stroke & Chinese Medical Patterns

In a study appearing on pages 328-340 of the same journal, Sun Wen-jun et al. report on the relationship between cerebral vascular accident (CVA), the prevalence of various Chinese medical patterns, and CRP. Their cohort consisted of 136 cases of stroke. One hundred twenty-three of these suffered from atherosclerotic cerebral infarction, while 13 suffered from lacunar infarction. Sixty-six out of 136 cases presented signs and symptoms of blood stasis, while 70 did not. Eighty-four cases (61.8%) presented kidney vacuity, 83 cases (61.0%) presented liver wind, 66 cases (48.5%) presented blood stasis, 61 cases (44.9%) presented phlegm turbidity, 44 cases (32.4%) presented qi vacuity, 37 cases (27.2%) presented yin vacuity with yang hyperactivity, 32 cases (23.5%) presented fire-heat, and 26 cases (19.1%) presented bowel repletion. Obviously from these numbers, many patients showed multi-pattern presentations. Further, there was a positive correlation between CRP levels and blood stasis (P > 0.05). Similarly, there was a positive correlation between blood stasis and triglycerides (TG) (P > 0.05), platelet count (PT)(P > 0.05), and red blood cell count (RBC) (P > 0.01). In general, the authors of this article believe there is a close relationship between atherosclerosis and blood stasis.