Recently heart rate variability (HRV) analysis has been introduced widely in the world for non-invasive and quantitative evaluation of autonomic function of human body.
HRV indicates the fluctuation in the intervals between heart beats, known as RR intervals on Electrocardiogram, that are not constant when they are measured serially and accurately for a certain period by computer. HRV is influenced mostly by autonomic nervous system as well as endocrinal system and mental activity. These involve non-spectral (time domain statistical) and spectral (frequency domain) measures.
Up to now, the analysis of HRV has been used in evaluation of general autonomic function of organic entity, but it couldn't evaluate accurately the autonomic function of individual internal organs.
We have invented Won point pulse variability analytic method that evaluates autonomic function of individual internal organs separately by combining HRV method and Koryo medical theory.
According to meridian theory of Koryo medicine, Won point (Source pt.) is regarded as representative acupoint reflecting function of corresponding internal organ governed by a meridian. Most of Won points are located in wrist and ankle regions and artery pulse beat can be felt there because medium or small arteries are distributed at Won point or nearby. For example, Taeyon point(LU9), the Won point of Lung Meridian is located in radial side of wrist where we can feel the pulse of radial artery, while Chungyang point(ST42), the Won point of Stomach Meridian is located in dorsal part of foot where dorsal artery of foot is distributed.
The intervals between pulses of artery at Won point region shows fluctuation like HRV. Analysing the fluctuation in the intervals between pulses of artery is termed Won Point Pulse Variability analysis, showing the same analytic method as HRV.
We have measured pulse variability simultaneously at Taeyon point (LU9), Chungyang point(ST42) and Taechung point(LR3), which are Won points of Lung Meridian, Stomach Meridian and Liver Meridian respectively, in 120 healthy subjects and 121 patients with chronic gastritis to explore whether the pulse variability of Chungyang point(ST42) is related with autonomic function of stomach, the corresponding viscera of Stomach Meridian.
All of the patients with chronic gastritis were divided into superficial gastritis (59 cases) and atrophic gastritis( 62 cases) based on the findings of endoscope test.
All subjects had 10 minutes of rest before examination and pulse signals were recorded serially with pressure sensor for 5 min and processed by standardization and A/D conversion in sampling rate of 1 ms to be entered into computer for data analysis.
We made it a rule to examine subjects 2 hours after meals.
The analytic indices are non-spectral ones such as SD(standard deviation, ms) and CV(coefficient of variance, %), and spectral ones like TP(total power, ms2 ), LF(low frequency, ms2 ), HF(high frequency, ms2 ) and LF/HF etc.
Of them, SD, CV and HF reflect parasympathetic function and only LF/HF is relevant with sympathetic function, while TP and LF are related with both of sympathetic and parasympathetic functions.
When we observed the relationship between the values of Taeyon(LU9), Chungyang(ST42) and Taechung(LR3) points in each parameter in healthy subjects, the result showed that SD, CV, TP, LF, HF values of Chungyang(ST42) and Taechung(LR3) were significantly higher (p<0.001) than that of Taeyon(LU9) respectively, but there was no significant difference between Chungyang(ST42) and Taechung(LR3).
The relationship between the values of Won points in patients with superficial gastritis showed no remarkable difference from that of healthy group.
However, in patients with atrophic gastritis, SD, CV, TP, LF, HF values of Chungyang(ST42) were significantly lower than those of Taechung(LR3).
This result indicates that patients with atrophic gastritis may cause relative specific change of pulse variability indices of Chungyang(ST42) and we can estimate to some extent the autonomic function of stomach through the pulse variability indices of Chungyang(ST42).
In future, we will have to try to establish valuable methods to separately evaluate the autonomic and physiological functions of other individual internal organs including stomach and apply them to clinical practice by studying further won point pulse variability.
