Research Progress on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Nephrotic Syndrome Edema Based on the Theory of Huangdi Neijing Integrating Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine

Abstract

Huangdi Neijing, honored as the “Origin of Medicine,” is the foremost of the four major classic texts in traditional Chinese medicine. Nephrotic syndrome (NS) is a clinical syndrome caused by various etiologies, characterized by massive proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia, varying degrees of edema, and/or hyperlipidemia. Edema typically manifests as swelling of the head, face, eyelids, limbs, and abdomen/back. Modern medicine primarily employs diuretic methods for treating NS edema, but these approaches have contraindications and limited efficacy in patients with underlying conditions or severe edema. In contrast, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) demonstrates unique advantages in treating NS edema and can effectively improve patient prognosis. This paper, based on the theoretical framework of Huangdi Neijingand its fundamental treatment principle for water disorders—”opening the ghost gate, cleansing the pure mansion, and removing stagnation”—and integrating modern medical theories such as the “underfill” and “overfill” hypotheses, systematically reviews the research progress in the diagnosis and treatment of NS edema using integrated Chinese and Western medicine. The aim is to provide more comprehensive theoretical foundations and practical guidance for clinical practice.