Diabetes and Meridian Energy

Tuesday, 13 July 2010: 2:05 PM

Sheng-Miauh Huang
School of Nursing, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
Li-Yin Chien, ScD
Institute of Clinical and Community Health Nursing, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
Chen-Jei Tai, MD, PhD
Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Taipei Medical University Hospital & Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

Learning Objective 1: compare meridian energy results between individuals with and without diabetes.

Learning Objective 2: understand some specific meridian could reflect problems of viscera and bowels, especially for diabetes.

Purpose: According to theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), there was energy running through 12 meridians longitudinally up and down the body. It was believed that meridian energy could reflect problems of viscera and bowels. But few studies have examined energy results among patients with diabetes. The study objectives were to compare meridian energy results between individuals with and without diabetes.

Methods: The study included 419 participants (243 males, 176 females) who had their health checks at a university hospital in Taipei. Participants whose Hba1c>= 6% or fasting blood sugar >= 100 mg/dl were classified as being diabetic. Meridian energy was examined using a meridian energy analysis device.

Results: Since males had higher meridian energy level than females, we decided to analyze the results by sex separately. Male participants with higher Hba1c had lower Bladder (-6.61μA, p<0.05) and Spleen (-6.70μA, p<0.05) meridian energy. Male participants with higher fasting sugar had lower Bladder (-5.37μA, p<0.05) meridian energy. There were no significant differences in meridian energy between female participants with and without abnormal Hba1c. Female participants with higher fasting sugar had lower Kidney energy (-5.20μA, p<0.01).

Conclusion: Meridian energy results seemed different between male and female patients with diabetes. Lower Bladder and Spleen meridian energy was observed in male patients with diabetes, while lower Kidney meridian energy was observed in female patients with diabetes. Further study is needed to explore mechanisms linking meridian energy results and diabetes as well as to examine sex differences.