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  CALee Acupuncture Age-Related Diabetes — Part 3 Liuwei Dihuang Wan : A Formula for the Depleting Body In Part 2, we explored how Classical Medicine views age-related diabetes as a process in which the body’s Yin foundation gradually becomes depleted, leading to increasing internal heat and disruption of fluid regulation. From this perspective, how is a treatment formula constructed? A Formula Built Around Restoration and Balance Liuwei Dihuang Wan is one of the most representative formulas reflecting this treatment principle. First recorded during the Song dynasty in Xiao Er Yao Zheng Zhi Jue , it has been used for centuries as a foundational formula for nourishing Kidney Yin (Bensky et al., 2004). Composition of the Formula Liuwei Dihuang Wan consists of six herbs: Rehmanniae Radix Preparata ( Shudihuang ) Corni Fructus ( Shanzhuyu ) Dioscoreae Rhizoma ( Shanyao ) Alismatis Rhizoma ( Zexie ) Moutan Cortex ( Mudanpi ) Poria ( Fuling ) These six herbs are ...

CALee Acupuncture Age-Related Diabetes — Part 2 Classical Medicine does not measure blood sugar. So what does it observe? In Part 1, we explored how modern medicine understands age-related diabetes as a condition shaped by: insulin resistance declining beta-cell function chronic inflammation Yet in clinical practice, all of these complexities ultimately converge into a single target: a number. Classical Medicine does not measure that number. So how did Classical Medicine understand conditions resembling diabetes long before blood glucose testing existed? Xiaoke — The Slowly Wasting Body In Classical Medicine literature, conditions resembling diabetes were described centuries ago under the term: Xiaoke (消渴) Xiao (消) refers to gradual depletion or wasting Ke (渴) refers to persistent thirst Descriptions of excessive thirst and fluid depletion appear even in the Huangdi Neijing , with later medical texts expanding the concept in greater detail (Unschuld, 2011). If modern ...

   CALee Acupuncture Age-Related Diabetes — Part 1 When blood sugar returns to normal, has the person truly become healthy? Globally, approximately 25–30% of adults over the age of 65 are diagnosed with diabetes. A fasting blood glucose level above 126 mg/dL, or an HbA1c above 6.5%, meets the criteria for Type 2 diabetes . The moment the numbers cross that threshold, you become a patient— and blood sugar management begins ( American Diabetes Association, 2023 ). Modern medicine justifies these criteria through decades of epidemiological research. Persistently elevated blood glucose damages blood vessels and contributes to complications affecting: the kidneys eyes nerves cardiovascular system The numbers do not lie. But age-related diabetes tells a slightly different story. Why Does Aging Disrupt Blood Sugar Regulation? As aging progresses, the body’s glucose regulation system changes in multiple ways simultaneously. Increasing Insulin Resistance One of the earl...

  CALee Acupuncture Age-Related Hypertension — Part 5 Where Do the Two Systems Diverge? Throughout this series, we have examined age-related hypertension through two fundamentally different perspectives. Modern medicine measures: arterial stiffness endothelial function autonomic regulation and works to normalize these through measurable values. Classical Medicine observes: the weakening of foundational regulation the loss of balance in upward-moving activity and attempts to restore that balance. The difference between these approaches is not merely methodological. It begins at a more fundamental level. What Modern Medicine Asks Modern medicine asks: “What is wrong?” This question divides the body into: normal abnormal 140 mmHg is abnormal. 130 mmHg is normal. Treatment, then, is the act of returning the abnormal to normal. Within this framework, aging can be understood as a form of dysfunction— a deviation to be corrected. This approach is powerful. It is:...

CALee Acupuncture Age-Related Hypertension — Part 4 How Does Modern Research Evaluate This Formula? In the previous parts, we explored how Tianma Gouteng Yin is designed not simply to lower blood pressure, but to restore regulatory balance within the body. So how does modern research evaluate a formula built on that premise? What Clinical Studies Report A number of clinical studies suggest that Tianma Gouteng Yin may influence both blood pressure control and symptom improvement in patients with hypertension . In combination therapy studies, when the formula is added to standard antihypertensive medications , there is often a greater reduction in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared to medication alone. Some studies report overall response rates in the range of 85–90% (Xiong et al., 2015). Beyond numerical changes, improvements have also been reported in symptoms such as: dizziness headache tinnitus insomnia This is a notable point. These symptoms often persist even af...

CALee Acupuncture Age-Related Hypertension — Part 3 Tianma Gouteng Yin : A Formula Aimed at Balance, Not Just Numbers In Part 2, we explored how Classical Medicine views age-related hypertension not as a problem of blood pressure itself, but as a condition in which the body’s foundational regulatory capacity weakens, allowing upward-moving forces to become insufficiently controlled. From this perspective, how is a treatment formula constructed? Looking Beyond Individual Herbs Tianma Gouteng Yin is one of the most frequently referenced formulas in Classical Medicine for this pattern. To understand this formula, it is less useful to list each herb individually and more meaningful to examine the treatment strategies operating simultaneously within it . This formula is not a collection of isolated actions. It is a structured system in which multiple therapeutic directions are applied at once. Composition of the Formula Tianma Gouteng Yin consists of: Gastrodia elata (Tianma) ...

  CALee Acupuncture Age-Related Hypertension — Part 2 Classical Medicine does not measure blood pressure. So what does it observe? In Part 1, we explored how modern medicine understands age-related hypertension as a condition shaped by arterial stiffness , endothelial dysfunction , and changes in autonomic regulation . Yet in clinical practice, all of these complexities ultimately converge into a single target: a number. Classical Medicine does not measure that number. It developed in a time before blood pressure monitors existed. So what, then, does it observe? The Same Patient, A Different Question If modern medicine asks, “What is the blood pressure?” Classical Medicine asks, “What process is unfolding within this person right now?” Let us revisit the symptoms often reported by elderly patients with hypertension: Dizziness Headache Facial flushing Tinnitus Insomnia Irritability In modern medicine, these are often considered secondary effects— symptoms expected to improve once b...

  CALee Acupuncture Age-Related Hypertension — Part 1 When blood pressure returns to normal, has the person truly become healthy? Approximately 70% of individuals over the age of 65 are diagnosed with hypertension . Blood pressure is classified as hypertensive when systolic pressure exceeds 140 mmHg or diastolic pressure exceeds 90 mmHg. In older adults, a specific pattern known as isolated systolic hypertension is especially common—where only the systolic value is elevated. This pattern is closely associated with structural changes in blood vessels that occur with aging (Franklin et al., 2001). Why Does Aging Raise Blood Pressure? As aging progresses, the composition of the arterial wall changes. Elastin decreases, and collagen increases. As a result, the elasticity of blood vessels declines. Even when the heart pumps with the same force, the pressure is no longer absorbed effectively—it is transmitted directly through the arterial system. This phenomenon is known as arterial sti...