Utilizing data mining techniques to analyze traditional Chinese medicine patterns in patients with acute cardiorenal syndrome

Objective

This study intends to investigate the medication patterns of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for the treatment of acute cardiorenal syndrome (ACRS) through clinical data mining.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted at China-Japan Friendship Hospital, encompassing hospitalized patients with ACSR admitted from June 1, 2013, to June 30, 2022. Patient treatment records, including TCM prescriptions, were gathered to establish a comprehensive prescription database. The prescriptions underwent analysis using the ancient and modern medical case cloud platform, incorporating the frequency, properties and flavors and channel tropism of each herbs, and clustering patterns, combination relationships, and complex network analysis of the whole.

Results

A total of 330 prescriptions from eligible hospitalized patients were included, which totally involves 324 kinds of different herbs. The therapeutic effects primarily emphasized descending qi and eliminating turbidity, promoting diuresis and reducing swelling, drying dampness and dispelling phlegm, and promoting the ascension of Yang Qi. The properties were largely warm, netural, slightly cool and cold, with warm being predominant. The flavors were chiefly sweet, spicy, and bitter, with sweetness being the most common. The major channel tropism were the lung and spleen meridians, followed by the stomach, liver, heart, and kidney meridians. Combination analysis identified 30 pairs of combinations, with higher associations found in combinations such as Jiegeng, Huangqi, Chaihu, Baizhu, Zhimu, and Dangshen. Cluster analysis categorized high-frequency herbs into 4 groups: Gualou–Fabanxia–Chuanxiong–Chishao, Fuling–Baizhu–Zhigancao–Chenpi, Maidong–Guizhi–Huangqi–Chaihu–Shengma–Zhimu–Shanzhuyu, and Huangqi–Dangshen–Jiegeng–Chaihu–Shengma–Zhimu–Shanzhuyu. Complex network analysis revealed core prescriptions for treating ACRS, including 17 herbs.

Conclusions

In the treatment of ACRS, TCM herbs with the properties of warm and neturality, and the flavors of sweet and spicy are commonly utilized. The prescribed herbal formulas have the effect of descending qi and eliminating turbidity, tonifying qi, activating blood and resolving stasis, resolving phlegm and promoting water.