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Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is increasingly threatening people in almost every country physically and economically. The treatment methods for delaying cognitive decline in Chinese Medicine are comprehensive and diverse. This paper is intended to illustrate the etiology and pathogenesis of AD from the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and categorizes treatments available for AD in Chinese medicine. It is aimed at clarifying the treatment ideas and methods for AD and providing new references for clinical treatment.

The paper gives an update on the epidemiology, etiology, pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). It points out the role of acetylcholine and glutamatergic components of neurotransmission in the pathogenesis of the disease, as well as their interactions, which is important to keep in mind to have a potentiated response to therapy that includes both these components. Different approaches to AD therapy are considered on the basis of the current ideas on the pathogenetic mechanisms of a degenerative process and with regard to the clinical features of the disease (the nature of the psychopathological symptoms of the disease and its stage). Particular emphasis is placed on compensatory therapy for deficient cholinergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission. Whether psychopharmacological agents may be used and psychotherapeutic work with the relatives of patients with AD should be done are also highlighted. Data on the efficiency of replacement therapy for different dementia stages, which promotes a delay in degenerative processes and a definite stabilization of the mental status, are presented.

Nasal polyposis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the nasal and paranasal sinuses mucosa, characterized by prolaps of edematous mucosa, most commonly from the area of anterior ethmoid. The mean histological characteristics are proliferation of pseudostratified respiratory epithelium, thickening of the basement membrane, focal fibrosis and eosinophilic and lymphocytic infiltration of the lamina propria. Although etiology is unknown, two hypotheses are dominant among the scientists: ”hypothesis of staphylococcal superantigens“ and ”hypothesis of immune barrier dysfunction“. Although we have not yet achieved a full understanding of the precise mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of this disease, it is known that nasal polyposis is associated with intensive chronic inflammation, followed by dysregulation of chemotaxis, migration, activation and function of eosinophils. A great number of cytokines, chemokines, and adhesion molecules are involved in the regulation of these complex mechanisms. After activation, eosinophils produce and release enzymes, which can lead to the damage of mucosa and tissue remodeling. Hyperactive eosinophils release a new amount of chemokines and cytokines, attracting new eosinophils into the site of inflammation, and may cause the persistence of chronic inflammation.

Funnel chest is the most common chest deformity characterized by the depression of sternum and rib cartilages. In spite of the centuries-old history of pectus excavatum investigation, plenty of publications on etiology and pathogenesis and many theories on this theme no one of them is generally accepted. This article is to summarize the modern views on the etiology and pathogenesis of funnel chest.

Etiology and pathogenesis are the causes and mechanisms of disease development and change. The unification and innovation of cancer pathogenesis is the key to the breakthrough of Chinese medicine. According to the related theory in Neijing, cancer in different parts of the body could be classified based on the five elements. Chinese mainland is divided into five parts: east, south, west, north and central section. Based on the annual data of China Cancer Center, we analyzed the data of 72 cancer registries covering 32 provinces and autonomous regions for consecutive 5 years. The results showed that the total incidence of the five regions in the mainland of China was statistically significant (F = 8.561, P < 0.01); the east was the highest, the west was the lowest, and the south, middle and north were in the middle level. The incidence of tumors in different parts of the human body was statistically significant (F = 523.382, P < 0.01). The incidence rate from high to low was lung, spleen, kidney, liver and heart. The heat is too much in China's eastern and the southern, and Qi is not too enough in the northwest. Five-Qi was imbalance. The pathogenesis of cancer is due to the two aspects, deficiency of five Zang-organs and abnormal seasonal climates. The viscera weakness for a long period and abnormal seasonal climates causes the body Yin and Yang disharmony, resulting in five zang organs dysfunction.