International Journal of Molecular Medical Science, 2024, Vol.14, No.6, 369-379 http://medscipublisher.com/index.php/ijmms 374 understanding an individual's constitution, TCM practitioners can provide personalized recommendations for diet, lifestyle, and herbal treatments, thereby enhancing health outcomes (Li et al., 2019). Furthermore, the integration of TCM with modern nutritional approaches can offer additional benefits for special populations. For instance, traditional herbal medicines, rich in fiber, polyphenols, and polysaccharides, have been used to modulate intestinal microbiota and improve conditions like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (Liang et al., 2019). This complementary approach can provide a more holistic and effective strategy for managing health in special populations, addressing both their unique needs and overall well-being. 6 Case Studies 6.1 Diabetes management case The integration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) into the health management of elderly diabetes patients has shown promising results. A study conducted between January 2020 and June 2021 treated 100 elderly diabetes patients with chronic diseases, dividing them into an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group received routine treatment and management based on TCM thinking, while the control group received only routine treatment. After 12 months, the experimental group exhibited significantly better disease control and quality of life, as measured by the WHOQOL-BREF scale, compared to the control group. This suggests that TCM-based health management can effectively improve disease control and patient quality of life in elderly diabetes patients (Table 1) (Wu et al., 2022). Table 1 Comparison of disease control effect between two groups of elderly diabetes with chronic diseases (case %) (Adopted from Wu et al., 2022) Group Significantly effective Effective Invalid Total effective rate The experimental group/50 30(60.00 17(34.00) 3(6.00) 47(94.00) The control group/50 17(34.00) 20(40.00) 13(26.00) 37(74.00) x² 7.440 P 0.006 Another study focused on the oral health of elderly diabetes patients through a small-group experiential learning model integrating TCM and Western medicine. The study involved 190 elderly patients divided into an observation group and a control group. The observation group received integrated experiential learning, while the control group received regular health education. After three months, the observation group showed significantly better blood glucose control and oral health quality of life compared to the control group. This indicates that integrating TCM with Western medicine can enhance diabetes management by improving both blood sugar levels and oral health (Wang et al., 2022). 6.2 Immune function enhancement case Balanced nutrition plays a crucial role in maintaining immunity, especially in the context of viral infections. A review of clinical trials on nutrition-based interventions for viral diseases, including respiratory infections, highlighted the potential benefits of vitamins A and D, selenium, zinc, nutraceuticals, and probiotics. These micronutrients have shown favorable immune-modulatory effects, particularly in nutritionally depleted elderly populations. The study suggests that nutrition principles based on these findings could be useful in the prevention and management of viral infections, including COVID-19 (Jayawardena et al., 2022). The role of TCM in health maintenance and disease prevention is also significant. TCM constitution theory, which studies the holistic body condition influenced by both inborn and acquired factors, has been applied in Chinese public health management with promising outcomes. This theory emphasizes personalized medicine, where therapeutic and preventive approaches are tailored to an individual's unique body constitution. By examining an individual's constitution, TCM can promote effective health management and enhance immune function, thereby contributing to disease prevention (Li et al., 2019).
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