Discussion on Formation of Pregnant Pulse from Perspective of Thyroid Function Indicators

YUAN Geng; YAN Xiufeng; SHEN Ling

doi:10.16295/j.cnki.0257-358x.2025.09.010

Abstract：The slippery and rapid pulse is the main pulse condition recorded in ancient traditional Chinese medicine texts as indicative of pregnancy.However,because the description of"slippery and rapid"is based on subjective perception,the scientific validity and practicality of the pregnancy pulse have been questioned by the outside world.The authors,by tracing back the understanding of pregnant women's physiology in traditional Chinese and Western medicine and combining it with professional experience in the endocrinology department and the emergency department,believes that the pulse characteristics of pregnant women are neither mysterious nor difficult to master.The formation of the pregnancy pulse is closely related to the physiological and moderate increase in thyroid function triggered by the elevation of human chorionic gonadotropin(HCG)in the early stage of pregnancy.Coupled with the overall harmonious interaction of the human body during pregnancy,the cardiac output and pulse elasticity increase during pregnancy.Therefore,the pregnancy pulse is somewhat similar to the pulse of young patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism.The authors suggest that when understanding and mastering the slippery and rapid pulse,in addition to directly performing pulse diagnosis on pregnant women to obtain an intuitive feeling,one can also perform pulse diagnosis on young patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism to experience and feel the pulse characteristics similar to those of pregnant women.The similarity between the pregnancy pulse and the pulse of subclinical hyperthyroidism reminds clinicians that for women of childbearing age whose thyroid function tests suggest subclinical hyperthyroidism,or who present with a pulse resembling that of subclinical hyperthyroidism,and whose thyroid stimulating hormone receptor antibody(TRAb)levels have not increased,it is important to conduct early pregnancy screening in order to avoid harm caused by misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment.