The holistic and preventive philosophy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) provides insights for global healthcare, said Tong Xiaolin, academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Tong explained that TCM has a holistic therapeutic perspective, which does not simply look at a single indicator; rather, it places it within the whole person for consideration.
There is also the concept of "treating disease before it arises." For example, some metabolic disorders and multiple metabolic disorders will ultimately lead to vascular problems. Traditional Chinese doctors will intervene early by treating the luo, or collaterals, at an early stage, when diabetic fundus lesions and kidney lesions have not yet been detected.
"When it comes to TCM's therapeutic philosophy, these two aspects stand out as particularly valuable for the world to learn from," Tong said.