Association between Resting Energy Expenditure and Heat Pattern in Traditional Medicine

Abstract

Many symptoms of heat pattern (HP) in traditional medicine are related to thermoregulation; however, research on the association between energy expenditure characteristics and HP is limited. We aimed to study the association between HP and resting energy expenditure (REE). A total of 109 participants were divided into the HP and non-HP groups based on a self-administered questionnaire and their REE was measured using an indirect calorimeter. Multiple logistic regression models were used to calculate the odds ratio (OR) of HP according to the level of REE. No significant differences in age, anthropometric, and body composition characteristics were observed between the HP and the non-HP groups. The likelihood of having an HP significantly increased with higher REE after adjustment for fat-free mass (OR 1.22 [95% CI 1.03–1.46]) and also after additional adjustment for sex and age (OR 1.21 [95% CI 1.01–1.46]). These results suggest that increased REE could be a biological characteristic of HP. Future studies are necessary to investigate the underlying mechanisms associated with the differing energy expenditure in HP.