Digestive system-related pathophysiological symptoms of Sasang typology: Systematic review

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to review clinical studies on digestive system-related pathophysiological symptoms of each Sasang type to obtain the generalizable typespecific clinical features, which are important for the diagnosis of the Sasang type and subsequent disease treatment. Sasang typology and digestive system symptom-related keywords were used to search through eight domestic and foreign databases up to March 2012. The results were organized and analyzed based on four categories [digestive function, appetite, eating pattern, and body mass index (BMI)] to elucidate type-specific symptoms. Sasang type-specific digestive system-related symptoms were identified by reviewing 30 related articles that were gathered by searching through the databases. The Tae-Eum (TE) type had the highest digestive functions and the So-Eum (SE) type had the lowest. The TE type appeared to have larger volume with fast eating speed compared with the SE type and individuals in the TE category preferred fatty or salty food, which is responsible for the high occurrence rates of organic digestive diseases such as gastritis. Moreover, BMI was higher in the TE type and lower in the SE type. We systematically reviewed previously published clinical reports on digestive functions, which can be used to meet the objective of Sasang-type differentiation and pathophysiological pattern identification.

Systematic review of type-specific pathophysiological symptoms of Sasang typology

“…There have been studies on the psychological,5, 6, 7 physical,3, 8 genetic,9, 10 and pathophysiological symptoms 8 of each Sasang type, and these have shown that the biopsychosocial profile of each Sasang type is stable across the lifespan using the Sasang Personality Questionnaire 3 and the ponderal index 4 . The biopsychological distinction between Sasang types may be related to specific mechanisms, such as extroversion and neuroticism, 5 novelty seeking and harm avoidance,6, 11, 12 behavioral activation and inhibition systems (neurotransmitters),3, 12, 13 hypothalamic activity, 4 basal metabolic rate, 4 thyroid activity, 4 and the autonomic nervous system 14, 15, 16.…”

“…The Sasang TSPS are type-specific clinical symptoms in digestion, sweat, sleep, urination, and defecation, and they are considered important clinical indices for diagnosis, intervention, and prognosis along with the biopsychological traits of each Sasang type 3, 8, 17. As for the underlying physiological systems, the Tae-Yang type is a person with strong sympathetic activation and weak anabolism and energy-storing characteristics, whereas the Tae-Eum type has strong anabolism and energy-saving and weak sympathetic activation.…”

“…Jema Lee's Longevity and Life Preservation in Eastern Medicine 2 and clinical studies8, 15, 19 consider five categories of TSPS—perspiration, sleep, digestive function, urination, and defecation—to be clinically important. In the present study, we incorporated three more proven TSPS categories: temperature preference, susceptibility to stress or fatigue, and physical characteristics.…”

“…In the present study, we incorporated three more proven TSPS categories: temperature preference, susceptibility to stress or fatigue, and physical characteristics. For the analysis, we integrated previous reviews on digestive function, 8 body shape, 3 and temperament6, 11 because satisfactory systematic reviews had been published elsewhere.…”

So-Eum Type as an Independent Risk Factor for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Population-Based Study in Korea

“…[11][12][13] The SE type, which is dysfunctional in food intake and digestion, frequently reports chronic indigestion, gastroptosis, and gastroadynamics. 8,12,14,15 Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common functional gastrointestinal disorders. IBS is characterized by abdominal discomfort or pain, bloating, abnormal stool form, and frequency and changes in bowel habits without an organic disease.…”