• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.137-152
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• 1998

Acute complications of diabetes mellitus were diminished after Banting and Best discovered insulin. But chronic complications of diabetes mellitus have been increased. The main complications of diabetes mellitus are diabetic retinopathy, diabetic nephropathy, diabetic neuropathy, diabetic foot lesion and macrovascular complication. These complications can result in renal failure, loss of sight, cerebral infarction and myocardial infarction. So it is very difficult to treat the complications of diabetes mellitus. In oriental medicine, the transformations(傳變症) of Sogal(消渴) are edema, carbuncle, loss of sight and so on. The comparative study between the trcmsformations(傳變症) of SogaI(消渴) and the complications of diabetes mellitus has come to the following conclusions. 1. In oriental medicine, diabetic retinopathy was expessed as loss of sight and the treament of diabetic retinopathy should be started at an early stage, to prevent vitreous hemorrhage and traction retinal detachment. 2. In oriental medicine. diabetic nephropathy was expressed as edema and the treatment should be started at an early stage of renal injury when the protein comes from urine.3. Symmetrical distal polyneuropathy is the main part of diabetic neuropathy and it was expressed as weakness of the lower limbs and pain of joints in the symptoms of Haso(下消). In Oriental medicine, acupuncture and herb medicine which effect is SopungHwalHyul can treat polyneuropathy. 4. Chief macrovascular complications are coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular disease, The cause of macrovascular complication is atherosclerosis. So the method of treating atherosclerosis should be studied in oriental medicine. 5. Diabetic foot were expressed as carbuncle and its main causes are decreasing perfusion of fool, diabetic neuropathy and infection. So these causes should be studied in oriental medicine. 6. The complications of diabetes mellitus afe very similar to the transfonnatiuns of Sogal(消渴).The control of blood glucose is indispensable to prevent and delay the complication of diabetes mellitus.