Aging Georgia

Clinical Application:
Diabetes: A study treated 53 cases of diabetes with a variation of this formula (one dose daily; treated for 20 days), and reported that the treatment was significantly effective in 46 cases, effective in 5 cases, and with no response in 2 cases.(2) Another study treated 65 cases of noninsulin-dependent diabetes with a variation of this formula. Of the 65 cases, 16 had a blood sugar content of 7.7-8.33mmol/L, 34 of 8.34-13.88mmol/L, and 15 greater than 13.88mmol/L. The patients were treated with one dose daily (water decoction taken orally five times a day), and the results were as follows: the treatment was significantly effective in 30 cases, effective in 28 cases, and with no response in 7 cases.(3)

Nephritis: A study reported of resolving 16 cases of nephritis with this a treatment based on this formula (with two additional ingredients, Ye Mu Cao and Ban Bian Lian, added to the formula). Of the 16 cases, 10 were of chronic and 4 of acute nephritis, with the remaining 2 of latent nephritis.(4)

Kidney and ureter stone: Of 32 cases of urinary system stones treated with a variation of this formula (one dose daily in water decoction), one study reported, 30 cases passed the stone(s), with only 2 cases with no response.(5)

Hyperthyroidism: A study treated 31 cases of hyperthyroidism with a variation of this formula. Of the 31 cases, 28 manifested a diffue goiter, 15 cases a vascular murmur, 13 an exorbitism, 29 a significant weight loss, 28 an abnormal heart rate (higher than normal), and all cases had a higher-than-normal iodine uptake rate. After a treatment of between 15 and 20 doses, most cases experienced a significant improvement in the symptoms, with the iodine uptake rate significantly lowered and returned to normal, and the vascular murmur significantly decreased or disappeared.(6)

Tumor and cancer: One study reported of treating 102 cases of various malignant tumors with this formula. Since day one of their concurrent chemotherapy, all cases started taking the formula orally, three times daily, each time 10ml. A treatment for 20 consecutive days was found to have enhanced the effect of, and lessened the side effects of, the concurrent chemotherapy.(7) Another study reported of using a variation of this formula to treat 48 cases of thyroid adenocarcinoma with satisfactory results. Arrived at by adding with Mu Li, Xia Ku Cao, and Bei Mu (Zhe) to the basic formula, the variation was administered to patients in a water decoction one dose daily (taken twice as first and second decoctions) for one to two months. The results are as follows: 26 cases significantly improved, 21 cases improved, and one case with no response, tallying an overall effective rate of 98%.(8)

Treatment with Moxibustion
Xiong, et al. studied the effect of moxibustion on red blood cell immune adherence activity in patients with kidney deficiency. They used the moxa-cone method at the following points: Feishu (B13), Pishu (B20), Shenshu (B23), Zusanli (S36), Dazhui (D14), Guangyuan (Ren4). One unit of treatment called for five moxa-cones on each point every other day for a total of 15 cones. The results showed that the treatment made a significant difference (P<0.01).(20)

Pan studied the effect of scar-producing moxibustion on aging by applying moxa cones directly to Zusanli (S36) and Juegu (GB39) on 50 patients. After the treatment, the aging symptoms were noticeably lessened (P<0.01). The symptoms that showed the biggest improvement included sourness, weakness in the waist and knees, limbs' aversion to coldness, weariness, and night urination.(21)

Zhao, et al. used cake-separated moxibustion to delay aging in 223 cases. They used the herbs Huang Qi, Dang Gui, Bu Gu Zhi, Xian Lin Pi, Da Huang, Dan Sheng, etc. to make an herbal cake with a thickness of 0.8 millimeters. Two groups of acupuncture points were used. One group consisted of Shanzhong (Ren17), Zhongwan (Ren 12), Shenque (Ren 8), Guangyuan (Ren 4), and Zusanli (S36). The second group consisted of Dazhui (D14), Shenshu (B 23), Pishu (B20). The two groups of points were alternated in receiving the treatment, which was administered every other day, one moxa-cone per point. One unit of treatment consisted of 24 treatment sessions. The results showed that the treatment effected significant increases (P<0.05 or P<0.01) in: NK (to 31.67(0.32%, which, although close to the result from the comparison group (34.91(6.21%), was significantly higher at the pre-treatment level), T-lymphocyte subgroups CD4 and CD3, and (-EP content.(22)

Zhan, et al. studied the effect of moxibustion on the general health of 40 aged people who lived in apartments independently. They treated Shenque (Ren 8) and Zusanli (S36) each for 10 minutes every other day for two consecutive months, and found that the treatment significantly increased the patients' serum EGF level (measured on empty stomach)(P<0.01).(23)