Cardiopulmonary functional capacity in Taiwanese children with atrial septal defects.

BACKGROUND: Most existing studies measure atrial septal defect (ASD) outcomes based on morbidity rates such as atrial arrhythmias and heart failure rather than the functional assessment of physical capacity postprocedure. Few studies have evaluated cardiopulmonary function in ASD children. This study represents the largest sample population in the current research, encompassing a total of 122 Taiwanese children with ASD who had undergone treatment, to evaluate cardiopulmonary functional capacity through the implementation of cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), and to investigate whether variations in treatment may impact their cardiopulmonary function. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study with the data collected from January 2010 to December 2021. All patients and controls (age-, sex-, and body mass index-matched) underwent CPET and pulmonary function testing. RESULTS: In total, 122 ASD patients (surgically closed ASDs 27, transcatheter-closed ASDs 48, and follow-up unrepaired ASD 47) and 244 healthy controls were recruited. The ASD group exhibited lower peak metabolic equivalent (MET), peak oxygen consumption (VO 2 , p < 0.001), and peak minute ventilation ( p = 0.028) along with MET and VO 2 at the anaerobic threshold (AT) ( p = 0.012) compared to the control group. No statistically significant differences were observed in the pulmonary function test. Among surgically closed, transcatheter closed and unrepaired ASD subgroups, no significant variances were seen in CPET and pulmonary function tests. CONCLUSION: Taiwanese ASD children exhibited diminished exercise capacity and cardiopulmonary performance compared to their healthy counterparts. Differences among specific ASD treatments in cardiopulmonary tests were non-significant.

A Summary of Health Preserving Thoughts of Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism and Medicine (Ⅰ) / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Traditional health preservation thoughts of four major schools (Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism and medicine) were systematically summarized. The proposed health-preserving ideas of physical health maintenance by Confucianism (self-cultivation, moderation and harmony), mental health maintenance by Buddhism (keeping still and in deep meditation, insight, kindness and help), health preservation by Taoism (following the nature, enhancing spirit and energy) and life protecting by medicine (dredging collaterals, Qi and blood, possessing both the form and the spirit), and the health-preserving methods under the guidance of such ideas have important guiding value for current industry of traditional health care.

Treatment Based on Syndrome Differentiation of Arrhythmia Guided by Yingwei Theory of Vessel-collateral Theory / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Meridians include (Qi) channels and blood (vessels). In Duyi Suibi, ZHOU Xue-hai of qing Dynasty named the terminal of Qi channel as"fine collateral of Qi" and the terminal of blood vessel as"fine collateral of blood". Qi channels of the heart cover extensive regulating mechanisms including cardiac pacing and conducting system. Blood vessels of the heart cover circulation system of coronary artery. Cardiac Qi channels and blood vessels are coordinated mutually, and Ying and Wei run together, to jointly maintain normal functions of the heart. Abnormal Yingwei caused by various pathogenic factors leads to occurrence of arrhythmia. Based on the Yingwei theory of vessel-collateral theory, this paper puts forward treatment based on syndrome differentiation of arrhythmia guided by therapeutic principle of"regulating Yingwei in case of heart damage" (Nanjing·14thNan) as well as addresses both symptoms and root causes by prescriptions for regulating Wei, Qi, Ying and blood through sufficiently considering modern pathogenic factors and pathogenic characteristics, in order to provide beneficial reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment.