Objective: To study the effect of Yin Xue deficiency and Yang Qi deficiency Syndrome on oxygen saturation of retinal vessels in eyes of patients with chronic nephropathy and diabetes. Methods: This case control study, which was based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome elements research, included 64 cases of type 2 diabetes, 83 cases of chronic nephropathy, and 103 normal subjects in Sichuan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from November 2014 to January 2016. Average blood oxygen saturation was measured in the retinal artery and vein, and the differences between them were calculated.
Differences in retinal arterial and venous oxygen saturation levels associated with the TCM syndromes Yin Xue and Ying Qi deficiencies were analyzed using variance analysis and Kruskal-Wallis correlation. Results: Patients with Yin Xue deficiency and Yang Qi deficiency had similar oxygen saturation in the
retinal artery (101.4% ± 10.2% and 98.3% ± 6.0% respectively, P > 0.05). In both groups, the oxygen saturation was significantly higher than in normal subjects (H=15.74, P < 0.001). The oxygen saturation in the retinal veins of patients with Yin Xue and Yang Qi deficiency were similar (62.2% ± 8.4% and
63.2% ± 5.7% respectively), and both similar to normal subjects (F=0.56, P=0.569). For Yin Xue deficiency patients, the arteriovenous difference in oxygen saturation, 39.2% ± 7.8%, was higher than for Yang Qi deficiency patients, 35.0% ± 5.8% (P < 0.001). Conclusions: In Yin Xue deficiency patients, the
arteriovenous difference in blood oxygen saturation is higher than in Yang Qi deficiency patients. This suggests that patients with Yin Xue deficiency have a higher rate of oxygen consumption than Yang Qi patients.