Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine (동의생리병리학회지)

The Physiological Society of Korean Medicine and The Society of Pathology in Korean Medicine (대한동의생리학회·한의병리학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

A Case-Control Study to Determine the Correlation Between Obesity and Iris Markers

비만과 홍채 지표와의 상관관계를 확인하기 위한 환자-대조군 연구

  • Ha-Kwon Kim (Department of Cardiology and Neurology of Korean Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Daejeon University) ;
  • Jungeun Choi (Department of Cardiology and Neurology of Korean Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Daejeon University) ;
  • Horyong Yoo (Department of Cardiology and Neurology of Korean Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Daejeon University) ;
  • Seong-Hwan Choi (Gao Korean Medicine Clinic) ;
  • Seong-Il Park (Dr. Park Seong-Il Clinic) ;
  • Hyun-Jung Park (Dr. Park Seong-Il Clinic) ;
  • Miso S. Park (Department of Cardiology and Neurology of Korean Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Daejeon University)
  • 김하권 (대전대학교 한의학과 심계내과학교실) ;
  • 최정은 (대전대학교 한의학과 심계내과학교실) ;
  • 류호룡 (대전대학교 한의학과 심계내과학교실) ;
  • 최성환 (가오한의원) ;
  • 박성일 (박성일한의원) ;
  • 박현정 (박성일한의원) ;
  • 박미소 (대전대학교 한의학과 심계내과학교실)
  • Received : 2025.01.09
  • Accepted : 2025.04.25
  • Published : 2025.04.25
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Obesity, characterized by excessive fat accumulation, arises from an imbalance between energy consumption and expenditure. It is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. In this retrospective case-control study, we examined the relationship between obesity and iris features frequently utilized in iridology, a practice that studies iris features to assess health conditions. We analyzed the correlation between iris markers and obesity obesity-related test results in 197 adults (99 obese, 98 normal-weight) using anonymized medical records and iris images. Obesity was defined as a BMI of 25 or higher. Trained practitioners examined iris images for markers such as lacunae around the autonomic nerve wreath (ANW), toxic spots around ANW, protrusion around ANW, and lacunae in the cardiac region. They evaluated each marker using a 0-2 grading system. Obese individuals showed more pronounced features, including lacunae and toxic spots around ANW. Normal-weighted individuals showed thicker and more protruded ANW (suggesting increased sympathetic nervous system activity). These markers correlated with clinical measurements of obesity such as waist and hip circumference, visceral fat area, body fat mass, and percent body fat. Each iris marker tended to correlate with different test items. The results suggest that iridology could be utilized to identify obesity-related detailed pathophysiological factors. Iridology combined with advanced technologies such as deep learning and artificial intelligence may further improve early detection and personalized treatment approaches for obesity-related health issues, potentially making iridology a useful component in comprehensive obesity management programs.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

이 논문은 2023학년도 대전대학교 교내학술연구비 지원에 의해 연구되었음.

References

  1. Bray GA. Medical consequences of obesity. The Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism. 2004;89(6):2583-9. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2004-0535
  2. Jeong JW, Cho SW. Trend research of the human body-oriented obesity studies on oriental medicine. J Korean Med Rehabil. 2016;26(1):49-61. https://doi.org/10.18325/jkmr.2016.26.1.49
  3. Park YS, Shin HS, Lee JH, et al. Approaching obesity through constitutional therapy: a series of 4 obesity cases who were classified as the Taeeum constitutional type. J Sasang Constitutional Med. 2011;23(2):263-74.
  4. Nam GE. Current status and epidemiology of adult obesity in Korea. J Korean Med Assoc. 2022;65(7):394-9. https://doi.org/10.5124/jkma.2022.65.7.394
  5. Baek IS. Iridology by photograph. Seoul:Seowondang, 1998.
  6. Park SI, Lim YW. Iris Diagnosis & Genetic Constitutional Medicine. 1st edition. Daejeon. Iris Genetic Constitutional Medicine, 2017.
  7. Larsson M, Nancy L, Pedersen, et al. Associations between Iris Characteristics and Personality in Adulthood. Biological Psychology. 2007;75:165-75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2007.01.007
  8. Park MS, Park S, Hur WJ, Park SI, Park HJ, Yoo HR. A Preliminary Study on Extracting the Collarette Features from the Iris Images. In2022 13th Asian Control Conference (ASCC) 2022 May 4 (pp. 1541-1543). IEEE.
  9. Lee DY, Lee JG, Kim YJ, et al. Association between obesity evaluated by body mass index and abdominal obesity evaluated by waist circumference and irritable bowel syndrome. The Korean Academy of clinical Geriatrics. 2009;10(2):176-84.
  10. Imo A. Ebong, David C. Goff, Jr, Carlos J. Rodriguez, et al. Mechanisms of heart failure in obesity. 2014;8(6):e540-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orcp.2013.12.005
  11. Babenko B, Mitani A, Traynis I, et al. Detection of signs disease in external photographs of the eyes via deep learning. Nature Biomedical Engineering. 2022;29:1-4. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41551-022-00867-5
  12. Ozbilgin F, Kurnaz C. An alternative approach for determining the cholesterol level: Iris analysis. International Journal of Imaging Systems and Technology. 2022. 32(4):1159-71. https://doi.org/10.1002/ima.22689
  13. Lim YW, Park SI, Park YJ, et al. A study on the correlation between iris markings and obesity indices. The Society of Korean Medicine Diagnostics. 2013;17(2):112-21.
  14. Park SI. Speed Iris Diagnosis. Daejeon: Korean Iris Medicine Association, 2013.
  15. Kim MH, Lee SH, Shin KS, et al. The change of metabolic syndrome prevalence and its risk factors in Korean adults for decade: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for 2008-2017. Korean Journal of Family Practice. 2020;10(1):44-52. https://doi.org/10.21215/kjfp.2020.10.1.44
  16. Saklayen MG. The global epidemic of the metabolic syndrome. Curr Hypertens Rep 2018;20(2):1-8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11906-018-0812-z
  17. Ford ES. Risks for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes associated with the metabolic syndrome: a summary of the evidence. Diabetes care 2005;28(7):1769-78. https://doi.org/10.2337/diacare.28.7.1769
  18. Worm N. Beyond body weight-loss:Diatary strategies targeting intrahepatic fat in NAFLD. Nutrients 2020;12(5):1316. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12051316
  19. Lakka HM, Laaksonen DE, Lakka TA, et al. The metabolic syndrome and total and cardiovascular disease mortality in middle-aged men. JAMA 2002;288(21):2709-16. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.288.21.2709
  20. Malik S, Wong ND, Frankin SS, et al. Impact of the metabolic syndrome on mortality from coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease, and all causes in United States adults. Circulation 2004;110(10):1245-50. https://doi.org/10.1161/01.CIR.0000140677.20606.0E
  21. Pagano G, Pacini G, Musso G, et al. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome:Further evidence for an etiologic association. Hepatology 2002;35(2):367-72. https://doi.org/10.1053/jhep.2002.30690
  22. Bonora E, Targher G, Formentini G, et al. The metabolic syndrome is an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease in Type 2 diabetic subject. Prospective data from the Verona Diabetes Complications Study. Diabet Med 2004;21(1):52-8. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1464-5491.2003.01068.x
  23. Moon JH, Kim W, Koo BK, et al. Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liverv disease predicts long-term mortality and cardiovascular disease. Gut Liver 2022;16(3):433-42. https://doi.org/10.5009/gnl210167
  24. Pinart M, Dötsch A, Schlicht K, et al. Gut microbiome composition in obese and non-obese persons: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients. 2021;14(1):12. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14010012
  25. Verdam FJ, Fuentes S, de Jonge C, Zoetendal EG, Erbil R, Greve JW, Buurman WA, de Vos WM, Rensen SS. Human intestinal microbiota composition is associated with local and systemic inflammation in obesity. Obesity. 2013;21(12):E607-15. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.20466