| Objective：The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the risk factors of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Chinese medicine constitution, and to further investigate the comprehensive strategies for the prevention and treatment of RA through the integration of Chinese and Western medicine.
Methods：In this study, RA patients hospitalized in Taizhou Orthopaedic and Traumatology Hospital were selected as the study subjects, and the study period was the whole year of 2023, and a total of 100 eligible and valid cases were included. The patients'' TCM body types were identified and analyzed according to the TCM Body Type Classification and Determination Self-Assessment Scale, and basic information, comorbidities (e.g., hypertension, interstitial lung disease, etc.), age, gender, and laboratory indicators were collected as risk factors.The diagnosis of RA was based on the 2010 ACR/EULAR classification and diagnostic criteria and the International Clinical Practice Guidelines for Traditional Chinese Medicine (ICPGTM). The diagnosis of RA was based on the 2010 American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) diagnostic criteria for RA and the International Clinical Practice Guidelines for Traditional Chinese Medicine (ICPGTM) for rheumatoid arthritis. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS25.0 software, and data were analyzed using the χ² test, t-test or rank-sum test.
Results：The results of the study showed that among the 100 RA patients, the most common TCM constitution type was damp-heat constitution (30.00%), followed by yang-deficiency constitution (18.00%) and blood stasis constitution (14.00%). In addition, hypertension was the most common comorbidity (59.00%), followed by diabetes mellitus (38.00%). Regarding laboratory indicators, although the distributions of RF, anti-CCP antibody and ESR were not statistically significant in different body types, there was a significant difference in the distribution of CRP (P<0.05), especially in patients with Damp-Heat and Blood Stasis qualities, which had significantly higher CRP levels than the other body types.
Conclusion：The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) constitution of RA patients is mainly characterized by damp-heat and yang-deficiency constitutions. In order to control the development of RA and improve the patients'' quality of life, intervention is needed by regulating and correcting the patients'' damp-heat and Yang-deficiency constitution. This study has important clinical significance for the prevention and treatment of RA. |
