Poland has a unique history of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) dating back to the 17th century when Polish missionary Michael (Michał) Boym was a pioneer in the field. In the 20th century, his successor, Professor Zbigniew Garnuszewski, reintroduced acupuncture to medical practice in Poland. However, other methods of TCM and its holistic approach to patient care have not found their place in modern medicine in Poland. At present, the legal status of TCM in Poland remains unregulated, with TCM included in the broad spectrum of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practices. Few reports are available on the use of TCM methods among the Polish population. Integrative medicine combines conventional medicine with evidence-based CAM interventions and considers all aspects of a patient's health, including physical, emotional, mental, social, and environmental factors. An integrative healthcare model that incorporates TCM modalities and lifestyle recommendations as well as a whole person approach may provide a more sustainable solution for the constantly underfinanced Polish healthcare system, which faces challenges of multimorbidity in an aging society and limited access to care. The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, war in Ukraine, and ongoing climate crisis have underscored the need to strengthen the resilience of the Polish healthcare system and search for new solutions. A model of care that blends the best of biomedicine and TCM healing approaches may be a better option for both patients and the healthcare system in Poland. Please cite this article as: Rybicka M, Zhao J, Piotrowicz K, Ptasnik S, Mitka K, Kocot-Kępska M, Hui KK. Promoting whole person health: Exploring the role of traditional Chinese medicine in Polish healthcare. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(6): 509-517.
Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Poland ; Holistic Health ; Complementary Therapies/psychology* ; Delivery of Health Care

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to establish normative data for holistic health parameters in the general Korean population and to investigate the factor associated with ideal life expectancy (ILE) among these holistic health parameters and sociodemographic variables. METHODS: This study used a questionnaire to obtain self-reported physical, mental, social, spiritual, and general health status and then evaluated their association with ILE. A total of 1,241 individuals responded to the questionnaire, from which we established a multidimensional health status reference data set representing the Korean population. To explain factors associated with ILE, we stratified results by age and gender and performed multiple logistic regression of sociodemographic variables and multidimensional health status. RESULTS: Women reported poor health status more frequently for all five health categories. The average ILE was 87.46 years versus 84.42 years of life expectancy in the general Korean population. Single marital status, higher income, and better social health were significantly associated with higher ILE. CONCLUSION: ILE could be a good indicator reflecting social wellness in a certain society. Comprehensive social health promotion programs can improve individuals' attitudes toward life expectancy, especially for vulnerable groups.
Dataset ; Female ; Health Promotion ; Holistic Health ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Expectancy ; Logistic Models ; Marital Status ; Self Report ; Socioeconomic Factors

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of the meaning in life for elementary school students. METHODS: The conceptual framework was based on the five main concepts (meaning in life, creativity, experiences, attitudes, choice and responsibility) of logotherapy. Data from 1,600 higher grade elementary school students were analyzed for content of meaning in life. RESULTS: The experiences of meaning in life were identified as follows: Important things in my life (people close to me, things that brings me happiness, to live in earnest, surrounding environment), Activities I like to do (relaxing, achievements, family relationships), Experiences that made me feel like I am loved (taken care of by family, material recompense, being respected), Times when I feel grateful (receive love and care, health), Importance of choices (consequences of bad choices, result of good life choices). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that elementary school students can understand meaningcentered health education and this kind of education is necessary to promote their wholistic health.
Creativity ; Education ; Happiness ; Health Education ; Holistic Health ; Humans ; Love ; Psychotherapy*

Stenosis of the coronary artery has been considered as an essential component of ischemic heart disease (IHD). Consequently, revascularization [e.g., percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass] has been the primary therapeutic approach to IHD. Such strategy has indeed revolutionized the management of IHD patients. However, not all patients with myocardial ischemia have visible coronary stenosis. Moreover, cardiovascular events occur in nearly 20% patients with stable coronary artery disease who have undergone PCI. The recently proposed "solar system" hypothesis of IHD postulates that coronary stenosis is only one (albeit important) of its features. Mechanistic contribution and clinical implication of multiple pathophysiological processes beyond coronary stenosis are highlighted in this hypothesis. On the basis of a holistic regulation and individualized medicine, Chinese medicine (CM) has been used in the real-world setting to manage a variety of diseases, including IHD, for more than two thousands years. In this article, we summarize the evidence of CM that supports the "solar system" IHD hypothesis, and argue for a comprehensive approach to IHD. At the theoretical level, the central features of this approach include a holistic view of disease and human subjects, as well as individualized medicine. At the practical level, this approach emphasizes anoxia-tolerance and self-healing.
Holistic Health ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Models, Cardiovascular ; Myocardial Ischemia ; therapy

Fluid Therapy ; ethics ; methods ; Holistic Health ; Humans ; Palliative Care ; Patient-Centered Care ; Singapore ; Terminal Care ; ethics ; methods ; Withholding Treatment

Although several algorithms have been applied to treat patients with schizophrenia, their clinical use remains still limited, because most emphasize the prescription of antipsychotics. A new algorithm with a more holistic approach to treating patients with schizophrenia, to be used before applying traditional prescribing guidelines, was thus proposed by an expert team of Taiwanese psychiatrists. In this algorithm, several important treatment tasks/modalities are proposed, including long-acting injection anti-psychotics, shared decision-making, a case management system, compulsory treatment by law, community rehabilitation programs, the patients' feeling about their health care professionals (patients' behaviors) and their attitude/knowledge of their conditions/illness. This study proposes that evaluating the medication adherence of patients can be determined by two key domains, namely patients' behaviors and attitudes. Based on different levels of their behaviors (X-axis) and attitude/knowledge (Y-axis), it is possible to categorize patients with schizophrenia into six subgroups, for which various different interventions, including the use of antipsychotics, could be applied and integrated. Further research is needed to assess the applicability of this treatment algorithm in clinical settings.
Antipsychotic Agents ; Case Management ; Delivery of Health Care ; Holistic Health ; Humans ; Jurisprudence ; Medication Adherence* ; Prescriptions ; Psychiatry ; Rehabilitation ; Schizophrenia*

Causative factors of multi-drug resistance tuberculosis (MDR-TB) were analyzed from iatrogenic angles, patients themselves, and society. Reviewed was the development of treatment strategies for MDR-TB from directly observed treatment short-course (DOTS) to DOTS-Plus. The history of Chinese medicine (CM) fighting TB and characteristics at the present stage were also analyzed. Authors pointed out that CM pays attention not only to killing pathogens and confirms the necessity of getting rid of pathogens, but also to cascade response caused by pathogens. It also regards the occurrence and development of MDR-TB as a whole by combining patients' conditions, climatic, geographic, psychological, and social factors. Authors believed that therapeutic principles under guidance of CM holistic view are of positive significance and inspiration in treating MDR-TB, and emphasized holistic view as basic strategies for treating MDR-TB, but not a single countermeasure.
Antitubercular Agents ; therapeutic use ; Holistic Health ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant ; therapy

OBJECTIVESince 1987, professor Wasserman displayed cardiopulmonary exercise test starting (CPET) data as 3 rows and 3 columns 9 panels plots. Although many changes and additions, there still are some important functional parameters were not shown in 9 panels. We want to display more.

METHODSThe 100 Hz sampling data of symptom-limited maximal limit CPET was used to calculate breath-by-breath data after per second cutting technique, and then to calculate the average value of 10 s data for graphic display.

RESULTSIn new 9 plots, panels (1) - (7) use time for the "X" axis, oxygen uptake, carbon dioxide elimination, loaded power, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate pressure product, minute ventilation, respiratory exchange ratio, CO2 elimination ventilatory efficiency, oxygen uptake ventilatory efficiency, oxygen pulse, ST segment level and ST segment slope at V5 lead, tidal volume, respiratory rate, end tidal oxygen partial pressure, end tidal carbon dioxide partial pressure and oxygen saturation of 18 noninvasive parameters, and arterial oxygen partial pressure, arterial oxygen saturation, arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide 3 blood gas parameters for the "Y" axis respectively. There are 3 vertical dashed lines represent dividing lines of the resting, warm-up, incremental power loading exercise and recovery period respectively. In addition, panels (1) and (4) have the horizontal dashed line represents the maximal oxygen uptake (red), oxygen uptake efficiency plateau (red) and the lowest value of carbon dioxide elimation ventilatory efficiency (blue) expected value respectively. Panel ( used heart rate and carbon dioxide elimination (as Y) against to oxygen uptake (as X); the "+" indicates intersection of the predicted maximum values of oxygen uptake and heart rate. Panel (9) used tidal volume (as Y) against over minute ventilation (as X), vertical dashed line is the measured maximum ventilatory volume, the horizontal dashed lines were the inspiratory capacity and vital capacity respectively.

CONCLUSIONNew CPET 9 plots emphasizes on the integration of all circulatory, respiratory and metabolic etc functional parameters in human, and is conductive to optimization of clinical medical service and health management.

Arteries ; Blood Gas Analysis ; Blood Pressure ; Carbon Dioxide ; Exercise ; Exercise Test ; standards ; Heart ; Heart Rate ; Holistic Health ; Humans ; Integrative Medicine ; Oximetry ; Oxygen ; Oxygen Consumption ; Partial Pressure ; Pulmonary Gas Exchange ; Tidal Volume

OBJECTIVESystemic mechanism of neurohumoral control and regulation for human is limited.

METHODSWe used the new theory of holistic integrative physiology and medicine to approach the mechanism and pattern of neurohumoral control and regulation for life.

RESULTSAs the core of human life, there are two core axes of functions. The first one is the common goal of respiration and circulation to transport oxygen and carbon dioxide for cells, and the second one is the goal of gastrointestinal tract and circulation to transport energy material and metabolic product for cells. These two core axes maintain the metabolism. The neurohumoral regulation is holistically integrated and unified for all functions in human body. We simplified explain the mechanism of neurohumoral control and regulation life (respiration and circulation) as the example pattern of sound system.

CONCLUSIONBased upon integrated regulation of life, we described the neurohumoral pattern to control respiration and circulation.

Blood Circulation ; physiology ; Holistic Health ; Humans ; Integrative Medicine ; Metabolism ; physiology ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; physiology ; Respiration ; Respiratory Physiological Phenomena

OBJECTIVEThe interpretation of control and regulation of circulatory parameters in traditional physiology has some limitations. Human being is an organic, circulatory control and regulation should involve all the systems.

METHODSBased upon the theory of holistic integrative physiology and medicine, we approach to explain the circulatory control and regulation from its purpose.

RESULTSThe main purpose of circulation is to maintain a stable metabolism of cells, i.e. transport oxygen (from lung) and nutrients (from gastrointestinal tract) to cells, and return carbon dioxide and metabolic products back for elimination. Based on this goal, all respiration and gastrointestinal digestion, absorption, urinary excretion, etc. are integrative together for regulation to maintain the supply-demand balance at any metabolic status of resting, exercise and sleep. So that, we can explain many existing problems and questions, for example: why and how the foramen ovale closed after birth; mechanism of Cheyne-Stokes respiration; blood flow redistribution during exercise; variabilities of systolic blood pressure, heart rate and autonomic tone.

CONCLUSIONThe circulatory control and regulation is the integration of all systems of the body.

Blood Circulation ; physiology ; Holistic Health ; Humans ; Integrative Medicine