Distribution of Pattern Identification According to BMI in Functional Dyspepsia Patients and Analysis of Frequently Used Herbal Medicines: A Retrospective Chart Review

Abstract

Objectives: This study analyzed the clinical characteristics of patients with functional dyspepsia (FD) who received Korean medicine treatment.Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted to investigate sociodemographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, and prescribed treatments. The clinical records of 192 patients who visited Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital for FD from May 1, 2022, to May 31, 2023, were analyzed. In addition, the distribution of pattern identification and symptom type according to body mass index (BMI), as well as prescription history, were analyzed.Results: As the degree of obesity increased, the proportion of Spleen-Qi deficiency pattern patients decreased (p=0.012), and the proportion of damp-phlegm pattern patients increased (p=0.000). Additionally, as the degree of obesity increased, the proportion of patients with excess differentiation increased (p=0.002). The PDS (Postprandial distress syndrome) symptom type was significantly more frequent in the underweight and normal groups than in the overweight and obese groups, and the EPS (Epigastric pain syndrome) symptom type was more frequent in the overweight and obese groups. Regardless of the type of pattern identification, the most frequently used prescriptions were <i>Naesowhajung-tang</i>, Hanshin <i>Naeso-san</i>, and <i>Sojeokgunbi-hwan</i> granule.Conclusion: This study analyzed the medical records of patients with FD to elucidate the use of Korean medicine treatments. Our study is meaningful in that we found that the distribution of pattern identification and symptom patterns are linked to the degree of obesity in FD patients and identified the tendency for herbal medicine treatments to be prescribed in clinical practice.