Despite the availability of six classes of antihypertensive agents, control of blood pressure and improving patients' quality of life remain far from ideal. There is a wide variability in terms of the hypotensive effect and side effect profile for the same antihypertensive agent used in different patients. How to select the right agent to provide the most beneficial results in terms of efficacy and improvement of quality of life as well as to decrease clinical symptoms and minimize adverse reactions is an important therapeutic challenge. It has been suggested that clinical usage of pattern (Zheng) diagnosis of traditional Chinese medicine may improve the accuracy in selecting the right antihypertensive agents with improved efficacy and deceased adverse effects. Limited research in this area suggested the calcium channel blocker may work better in treating phlegmatic damp excess pattern and blood stasis pattern while beta-blockers may be more beneficial in the liver yang rising pattern. On the other hand, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors may be more suitable in a yin deficiency and yang hyperactivity pattern as well as combined liver and kidney yin deficiency pattern. More research studies using this innovative approach in improving the selection of antihypertensive agents including mechanistic studies are urgently needed.

Objective:To investigate the distribution characteristics of syndrome types of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in essential hypertension and to explore the distribution rule of TCM syndromes. Methods: A multicenter, large-sample survey method of clinical epidemiology was applied to choose the patients with essential hypertension from North, Middle, and South China. A questionnaire was designed and filled in, then 477 untreated patients with first-diagnosed essential hypertension were selected and the information was recorded into FileMaker database. A cluster analysis method was utilized to study the TCM syndrome distribution rule of essential hypertension. Results: Two-step cluster analysis was done from 3 to 7 clusters. Seven clusters were appropriate, which included deficiency of heart and kidney qi, hyperactivity of liver-yang, deficiency of yin and yang, stagnation of phlegm-dampness, phlegm-heat (subtype of stagnation of phlegm-dampness), blood stasis obstructing collaterals, and other syndromes. The symptoms presenting high percentage in each cluster were more significant in TCM theory. The syndromes of hyperactivity of liver-yang (24.1%) and stagnation of phlegm-dampness (27.1%) presented the high percentages, and deficiency of heart and kidney qi (10.1%), deficiency of yin and yang (8.4%), and blood stasis obstructing collaterals (9.0%) presented the low percentages. Conclusion: As compared with the current syndrome differentiation criteria, two-step cluster analysis results not only include the syndromes of deficiency of yin and yang, hyperactivity of liver-yang, stagnation of phlegm-dampness, but also cover qi deficiency and blood stasis.

The Algerian medical health system provides free medical care. The incidence of non-communicable diseases, such as ischemic heart disease, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease, are high. Acupuncture has become a popular treatment recognized by the public with certain influence. However, some problems restrict the development of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in Algeria, like insufficient training of TCM talents; lack of TCM related knowledge, and medical insurance policy uncoving TCM. Based on the status quo of TCM, we suggested promotion and dissemination of TCM development in Algeria, including breaking through education limitation to expand the talent team, carrying out targeted publicity to expand the influence of TCM, promoting the inclusion of TCM in medical insurance and government legislative protection. Only in these ways, could we increase and expand the strength and scope of TCM influence, and promote the development of TCM in Algeria.

Turkey is a presidential republic country located in the Eurasian continent, which has a universal health coverage since the health reform in 2003. The leading causes of death in this country are ischemic heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer. Besides, lower respiratory infections, chronic kidney disease, and hypertensive heart disease are the diseases which have a fastest growing rate. Chinese acupuncture was officially recognized by Turkey in 1991 with the promulgation of Acupuncture Treatment Legislation. At present, only trained practitioners and dentist could conduct acupuncture treatment, which was stated in Regulation of Tradition and Complementary Medicine Practice. The application of Turkish acupuncture and moxibustion is still applied in a simplified way that lack of TCM theory. Moreover, Chinese herbal medicine is still not officially recognized and still under control of the Ministry of Agriculture. Therefore, it is suggested to introduce TCM theory in the spread of acupuncture, to promote acupuncture research and clinical practice, to clarify the different standards between the two countries, and to cooperate in Chinese medicine researches, especially those related to the local high incidence and refractory disease so as to promote the development of TCM in Turkey and provide medical services for local residents.

Indonesia is an island country in Southeast Asia. In 2014, Indonesia established the National Health Insurance System (NHIS), and until 2019, the NHIS hadcovered 82% residents. The leading causes of death in Indonesia were stroke, ischemic heart disease, diabetes, tuberculosis and cirrhosis. In 1996, the Indonesian Ministry of Health allowed acupuncturists to enter Indonesian medical institutions to practice acupuncture. After that acupuncture was included in college education as a major course. However, there are still some problems, such as insufficient policy and legislation support of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), imperfect education and talent training system of TCM, and low acceptance of TCM theories. Therefore, it is recommended that the local societies and organizations could actively promote the government’s legislation on TCM; local TCM schools could build a team of excellent teachers, improve teaching quality, and cultivate local TCM talents; strengthen the cooperation and exchanges of traditional medicine between the two countries to promote the spread and development of TCM in Indonesia.

American medical insurance is mainly composed of public medical insurance borne by the government and private medical insurance. The main cause of death in this country are ischemic heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and lung cancer. The motality rate mainly caused by drug use disorders, chronic kidney disease and Alzheimer’s disease. The development of Chinese herbal medicine is relatively slow and difficult. The education system has covered Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). However, there still exist certain challenges of the development of TCM acupuncture faces the challenge of localization; Chinese herbal medicine still lacks standardization and TCM education needs to be standardized. Based on the current situation, it is suggested to focus on the development of acupuncture and moxibustion, to promote the registration and declaration of Chinese herbal medicine products for treating difficult diseases, and to strengthen the international exchange of TCM education, so as to promote the development and spread of TCM in the United States.

Thailand is a constitutional monarchy located in the central and southern part in Southeast Asia. It mainly implements the civil service insurance plan, the social insurance plan and the "Thai 30" plan, and the government bears the main health expenditures. The Thai traditional and alternative medicine system includes Thai traditional medicine, indigenous medicine and alternative medicine. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) belongs to the category of alternative medicine. Currently, Thai traditional medicine and Chinese acupuncture have been included in medical insurance. With Thailand’s approval of doctors to use Chinese medicine to treat diseases published (Notification No.1 of BE 2543), a series of activities such as the establishment of national TCM center, the certification of TCM doctors, and the set of TCM courses and training have promoted TCM development in Thailand. However, the application of Chinese herbal medicine is restricted by Thai medicine laws; the practical skills of acupuncture and moxibustion is insufficient; and the TCM education is not systematic and complete. Therefore, it is recommended to carry out extensive and continuous publicity in the future to promote policy and legislative support; to strengthen research and development of Chinese patent medicine on popular diseases in Thailand and promote localization; to establish a special practice training center to improve acupuncture clinical operation capacity; to add and refine the content of TCM regarding university education system as well as short-term training; and to encourage cooperation between China and Thailand in talent exchanges and scientific researches, promoting the development of TCM in Thailand.

India is a parliamentary republic country located in South Asian. Its medical and healthcare insurance is paid by the state government and it has the world’s largest "free medical" service system. India has a long history of traditional medicine (TM) represented mainly by Ayurveda, Naturopathy, Yoga etc. As early as the 2nd century BC, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) was introduced to India along with religious exchanges and trade activities. At present, acupuncture has achieved independent legal status in India and there are many acupuncture clinics and associations. However, non-acupuncture TCM treatments lack development in India, but the application of acupuncture lacks of systematic standards.

Mongolia is a parliamentary republic country in the north of our country. Healthcare system is mainly composed of three parts: state-owned medical institutions, private clinics and mixed-ownership medical institutions, characteris by the wide coverage but uneven resources. Due to the folk customs and climate, diseases of the digestive system are more common, and the main diseases that cause deaths of Mongolian residents are ischemic heart disease, stroke, and liver cancer. Mongolia is located by and culturally related to China, so the development and dissemination of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is likely acceptable to the public. Mongolia’s traditional medicine and TCM have long-term exchanges and influences, promoting each other’s development, which also are protected by Mongolian laws. The concerns such as the inheritance, study and protection of Mongolian traditional medicine, the promotion of non-medicinal therapies restrict the development Mongolian and Chinese traditional medicine. It is recommended that Mongolian and TCM jointly promote the development and dissemination of traditional medicine in the world by cultivating high-level medical talents, increasing research and protection of herbal medicines, and expanding the application of non-drug therapies.