1 Asthenia of heart qi
Asthenia of heart qi refers to asthenia symptoms of palpitation and shortness of breath resulting from insufficiency of heart qi and failure of heart qi to propel. This syndrome is due to frequent weakness, or malnutrition with prolonged disease, or deficiency of visceral qi caused by senility, which leads to asthenia of heart qi, weakness in propelling and malnutrition of the heart.
Clinical manifestations: Palpitation, shortness of breath, spiritual lassitude, aggravation after movement, pale complexion, or spontaneous sweating, pale tongue
and weak pulse, seen in cardiac insufficiency (compensatory period) due to coronary atherosclerotic cardiopathy, viral myocarditis, chronic rheumatic heart disease, hypotension, primary myocardiopathy, chronic pulmonary heart disease, and mitral valve prolapse syndrome as well as patients with cardiac neurosis.
Analysis of symptoms: Insufficiency of heart qi, lack of proper moisture and nourishment of the heart and irregular beating of the heart lead to palpitation; shortness of breath and spiritual lassitude are due to functional decline resulting from qi asthenia; spontaneous sweating is due to qi asthenia and weakness of weiqi to protect the superficies; aggravation after movement is due to consumption of qi after movement; pale complexion, pale tongue and weak pulse are due to failure of asthenic qi to propel and insufficiency of qi and blood.
Key points for syndrome differentiation: Palpitation, shortness of breath, spiritual lassitude, aggravation after movement and decline of functional activities due to qi asthenia.
