Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Evaluation of the health status of six volunteers from the Mars 500 project using pulse analysis

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

To comprehensively evaluate the health status of 6 volunteers from the Mars 500 Project through analyzing their pulse graphs and determining the changes in cardiovascular function, degree of fatigue and autonomic nervous function.

Methods

Six volunteers were recruited; all were male aged 26–38 years (average 31.83±4.96 years). Characteristic parameters reflflecting the status of cardiovascular functions were extracted, which included left ventricular contraction, vascular elasticity and peripheral resistance. The degree of fatigue was determined depending on the difference between the calendar age and biological age, which was calculated through the analysis of blood pressure value and characteristic parameters. Based on the values of pulse height variation and pulse time variation on a 30-s pulse graph, autonomic nervous function was evaluated. All parameters examined were marked on an equilateral polygon to form an irregular polygon of the actual fifigure, then health status was evaluated based on the coverage area of the actual fifigure.

Results

The results demonstrated: (1) volunteers developed weakened pulse power, increased vascular tension and peripheral resistance, and slight decreased ventricular systolic function; (2) the degree of fatigue was basically mild or moderate; and (3) autonomic nervous function was excited but generally balanced.

Conclusions

These volunteers were in the state of sub-health. According to Chinese medicine theories, such symptoms are mainly caused by the weakening of healthy qi, Gan (Liver) failing in free coursing, and disharmony between Gan and Wei (Stomach), which manifests as a weak and string-like pulse.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Zhang QJ, Bai YQ. Psychological issues in manned space flight. Space Med Med Eng (Chin) 1999;12:144–148.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Alishev NV, Tsygan VN, Drabkin BA, Apchel VIa, Nikolaeva NA, Tarumov AV, et al. Psychoemotional stress and somatic diseases in veterans of special risk units. Adv Gerontol 2008;21:276–285.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Jankosky CJ. Mass casualty in an isolated environment: medical response to a submarine collision. Mil Med 2008;173:734–737.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Dovgusha VV, Myznikov IL, Shalabodov SA, Buma OK. Medical-physiological characteristics of combat training of nuclear-power submarine crews. Voen Med Zh 2009;330:46–53.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Horn WG, Thomas TL, Marino K, Hooper TI. Health experience of 122 submarine crewmembers during a 101-day submergence. Aviat Space Envir Med 2003;74:858–862.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Xu CL, Zhu GJ, Xue QF, Zu SY. Changes of serum thyroid hormone and plasma catecholamine of 16th and 17th Chinese expeditioners in Antarctic environment. Adv Polar Sci (Chin) 2003;14:124–130.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Xu CL, Wang ZH, Li H, Zhang T, Zu SY, Zhu GJ. Changes of biological activity of serum immunosuppressive protein of stress on antarctic winter-over expeditioners. J Toxicol (Chin) 2007;21:392–394.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Xu CL, Chen WN, Chen L, Xue QF, Qi BS, Zhu GJ. The extreme conditions of the Antarctic improves Chinese expeditioners’ lung function. Basic Clin Med (Chin) 2008;28:331–334.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Xu CL, Zu SY, Li XD, Zhu GJ, Xue QF. Changes of serum thyroid hormone and plasma catecholamine of expedition members in Antarctic environment. Chin J Polar Res (Chin) 2001;13:294–300.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Chen FJ, Wang HS, Huang CY, Chen YS. Pulse analysis in bipolar disordered and nonpsychotic human subjects. Am J Chin Med 2012;40:455–465.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Dai J, Sun S, Cao H, Zheng N, Wang W, Gou X, et al. Applications of new technologies and new methods in Zheng differentiation. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2012;2012:298014.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  12. Huang CM, Wei CC, Liao YT, Chang HC, Kao ST, Li TC. Developing the effective method of spectral harmonic energy ratio to analyze the arterial pulse spectrum. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2011;2011:342462.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Jiang M, Lu C, Zhang C, Yang J, Tan Y, Lu A, et al. Syndrome differentiation in modern research of traditional Chinese medicine. J Ethnopharmacol 2012;140:634–642.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Kim JU, Jeon YJ, Kim YM, Lee HJ, Kim JY. Novel diagnostic model for the deficient and excess pulse qualities. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2012;2012:563958.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. O’Rourke MF, Pauca A, Jiang XJ. Pulse wave analysis. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2001;51:507–522.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  16. Tang AC, Chung JW, Wong TK. Digitalizing traditional Chinese medicine pulse diagnosis with artificial neural network. Telemed J E Health 2012;18:446–453.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Wang Y, Yu Z, Jiang Y, Liu Y, Chen L, Liu Y. A framework and its empirical study of automatic diagnosis of traditional Chinese medicine utilizing raw free-text clinical records. J Biomed Inf 2012;45:210–223.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Niu X, Yang XZ. Multidimensional pulse diagnostic message collecting and processing system for dynamic identification of radial artery motion. J Beijing Univ Chin Med (Chin) 2005;28:43–46.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Fei ZF. Advances in pulse instrument and thoughts on "Cunkou" pulse condition. Acta Univ Tradit Med Sin Pharmacol Shanghai (Chin) 2012;26:7–10.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Fei ZF, ed. Modern traditional Chinese medicine pulse diagnostics. 1st ed. Beijing: People’s Medical Publishing House;2003:162–165.

  21. Xu JT, Wang QH, Sun HJ, Fei ZF. Investigative analysis of biological age in sphygmogram of healthy group by ZM? intelligent pulse apparatus. Acta Univ Tradit Med Sin Pharmacol Shanghai (Chin) 2000;14:35–36.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Fei ZF. Main physiological indexes and comprehensive imaging evaluation of sub-health state. Acta Univ Tradit Med Sin Pharmacol Shanghai (Chin) 2008;122:6–11.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Jiang L, Shao Y, Zhang XW, Zhang XY, Yong L. Exploratory research on pulse parameters assessment on autonomic nervous function of depression. Chin J Inf Tradit Chin Med (Chin) 2011;18:10–11,105.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Wang LM, Zhao X, Wu XL, Li Y, Yi DH, Cui HT, et al. Diagnosis analysis of 4 TCM patterns in suboptimal health status: a structural equation modeling approach. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2012;2012:970985.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  25. Di D, Zhou M, Qin PF, Zhu W. Research progress on objective collection and analytical method of pulse manifestations in traditional Chinese medicine. Shanghai J Tradit Chin Med (Chin) 2014;48:104–108.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Chu GX, Chen QG, Xu JT, Yu B, Zhang M, Cui LT, et al. Analysis on pulse diagram characteristics of subjects with subhealth state. J Chin Integr Med (Chin) 2012;10:1099–1105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Space Medicine Fundamentals and Application, China Astronaut Research and Training Center, Beijing, 100094, China

    Hong-zhi Shi, Quan-chun Fan, Jian-yi Gao, Jun-lian Liu, Gui-e Bai, Tao Mi, Shuang Zhao, Yu Liu, Dong Xu, Zhi-feng Guo & Yong-zhi Li

Authors
  1. Hong-zhi Shi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Quan-chun Fan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jian-yi Gao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jun-lian Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Gui-e Bai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Tao Mi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Shuang Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Yu Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Dong Xu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Zhi-feng Guo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Yong-zhi Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yong-zhi Li.

Additional information

Supported by the National Manned Space Flight Engineering Foundation of China and Advance Research Project in Manned Spaceflight of China (No. 010202)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Shi, Hz., Fan, Qc., Gao, Jy. et al. Evaluation of the health status of six volunteers from the Mars 500 project using pulse analysis. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 23, 574–580 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-016-2539-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-016-2539-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation