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Background Previously, time data were analyzed by using constituent ratio or relative ratio; however, circular statistical analysis could exactly provide average peak phase of diseases. Objective To investigate the correlation of solar term peak with onset and death of acute ischemic stroke. Design Retrospective case analysis. Settings Emergency Department of Foshan Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine; Department of Science and Education, the Second People's Hospital of Foshan. Participants A total of 1 597 patients with acute ischemic stroke were selected from Emergency Room, Department of Neurology, Foshan Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from 1994 to 2002. There were 875 males and 722 females, and their ages ranged from 33 to 97 years. All cases met the diagnostic criteria of acute cerebral infarction modified by the Second National Cerebrovascular Disease Academic Meeting; meanwhile, they were diagnosed with CT/MRI test. Patients and their relatives provided the confirmed consent. Methods Solar term of onset was retrospectively analyzed in 1 597 patients with acute ischemic stroke; among them, solar term of death in 90 cases were analyzed by using circular statistical analysis to calculate peak phase of onset and death of acute ischemic stroke and investigate the correlation of solar term with onset and death of acute ischemic stroke. Main outcome measures Onset and death time of patients with acute ischemic stroke. Results Solar term of onset in 1 597 patients, especially solar term of death in 90 patients, was not concentrated ( P > 0.05), and specific peak phase was not found out. Acute ischemic stroke low attacked from vernal equinox to summer begins, but death caused by acute ischemic stroke high attacked from grain buds to autumn begins. Conclusion Patients with acute ischemic stroke do not have specific solar term peak of onset and death.

To study the relationship between the solar term of onset of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and its syndrome types in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).The clinical data about 430 patients with AMI hospitalized in Foshan Hospital of TCM from February 4th 2003 (Beginning of Spring) to February 3rd 2008 (Beginning of Spring) were collected, and the solar term of onset as angle coordinate was regarded, then the peak phase of the onset solar term in each syndrome type of AMI was calculated by circular statistical analysis.Among 430 patients with AMI, 134 patients were considered to have qi stagnancy and blood stasis syndrome, 188 patients showed the syndrome of turbid sputum obstruction, 29 of them showed deficiency of yin-blood, and 79 showed deficiency of yang qi. The clinical manifestation of AMI was mainly asthenia syndrome (qi stagnancy and blood stasis+turbid sputum obstruction, 74.9%). According to the circular statistical analysis, the peak of the solar terms of AMI onset occurred at the Beginning of Spring in all cases (r=0.127 4, P0.01), and standard deviation (s)=116.300 6 degree angle, showed it mainly occurred in winter and spring. As the peak of the onset of qi stagnancy and blood stasis occurred at Winter Solstice and Lesser Cold (r=0.200 5, P0.01), its peak occurred in winter; the turbid sputum obstruction syndrome occurred at Spring Equinox (r=0.147 0, P0.05), mainly in spring, yet the symptoms of above two peaks were generally mild. Besides, there was no significant difference in onset of the solar term in regard to onset of deficiency of yin-blood and deficiency of yang qi (both P0.05).There is a close relationship between periodicity of the solar terms and onset of AMI. The main treatment for AMI is to expel turbid sputum, activate blood to resolve stasis and promote blood circulation to relieve pain; also the method of activating blood to resolve stasis is frequently contemplated in winter, and the method of expelling turbid sputum is the main strategy in spring.