Integrative Views of the Heart in Chinese and Western Medicine

Abstract

There is a general acknowledgement in almost all civilizations that the heart is the most important organ in the human body. Both Chinese medicine and Western traditional medicine have a long history of heart research, but they have developed different points of view based on the basic cognition. Traditional Chinese medicine is good at summarizing the correspondence and relationship between the heart and exterior things. The physiological functions of the heart are governing blood and vessels, controlling the mind, opening into the tongue, manifesting on the face, and so on, while modern Western medicine does well in exploring the anatomical structure, spacial connection, and micromechanical character of the organ. Chinese medicine and Western medicine have established the diagnosis and management system, respectively, from their own angles. Combining the knowledge of Chinese and Western medicine can take the advantages of either of the two, making it deeper and more comprehensive for studying and treating heart diseases.