Dr. Wang
It’s a rural area. I’m a farmer’s son.
How and when did you become interested in medicine?
My father fell ill after I took the college entrance exams. His illness was mild, but medical service was scarce in rural areas. Then I wished I had been a doctor.
What led you to the integration of Eastern & Western medicine rather than strictly adhering to one philosophy?
Eastern and Western medicines both have merits and demerits. Integration of the two medicines will be more efficient in promoting good health.
Are there other subjects besides allergies and diabetes that you would like to research further or become involved in?
The advancement in modern medicine is mainly in the field of examination. We still have a lot of intractable diseases. There are limitations to symptomatic treatments for these diseases. Health-promoting treatments can be very beneficial. Intractable diseases are my target. These include organic illnesses like rheumatism, and dysfunctions like incontinence.
What first led to your interest in treating allergies?
In 1996, I noticed that many people had allergies in Japan. Many doctors who were teaching at Juntendo University were troubled by allergy. Moreover, there were no effective treatments.
What prompted your involvement in treating diabetes?
Generally speaking, development of a drug against a disease should reduce the occurrences of that disease. Invention of insulin led to a Nobel prize. Subsequently, oral drugs for lowering blood glucose level were developed. Nevertheless, cases of diabetes are on the rise, and its complications are torturing and killing more and more people. I feel there is a problem in treating patients on the basis of the blood glucose level data.
When did you first visit the United States?
May of 1997.
What are your interests/hobbies outside of medicine?
Chinese literature. I have an essay column in Chubun Doho.
I understand you are currently working on a book on diabetes. When do you anticipate completion of the book?
I am aiming at the end of 2007.
How long have you been Assistant Professor at Juntendo University School of Medicine?
In December 2005, I became the first foreigner to become Assistant Professor in Japan’s clinical medicine. In 2002, I became full professor at my alma mater in China.
What is the focus of your teaching?
Besides the studies on the liver and stomach, I was introducing Chinese medicine.
In your opinion, what is the most promising research currently being done in diabetes treatment?
Diabetes is a disease caused by metabolic and circulatory failures, and the high level of blood glucose is only one of its symptoms. Genetic and molecular therapies only provide local treatments of certain symptoms or data improvement.
I believe that data treatment for lowering blood glucose level, combined with constitution improvement treatment using such agents as Ketsumeisei (Juemingjing), will bring on the improvement of efficacy in diabetes treatment.
How are you presently involved in diabetes research?
My priority is to observe the clinical effects.
If so, what direction/subject matter is your research taking/focused on?
I prioritize studies that will directly help alleviate patients’ pain. Most studies ten years ago were done for academic purposes. Presentations were the goal and there were few benefits for patients.
In practical studies, combining the philosophy and experience of Chinese medicine and analytic methods of modern medicine in a comprehensive manner tends to produce good ideas.
What is your viewpoint of holistic or alternative medicine?
The natural duration of life for humans is about 120 years. In one’s life, completely healthy periods are thought to be very short. Of course, sick periods are not too long, either, and “half-healthy” periods are thought to be the longest. Taking care of oneself brings one closer to good health, while neglecting one’s health takes one closer to illness. Bad lifestyles also cause illness.
Western medicine mainly treats organic illnesses, whereas holistic and alternative medicines focus on preventive medicine, and modern Chinese medicine focuses on treatments of intractable diseases. Each philosophy has its merits. I think these medicines are not completely mutually exclusive, but are rather in cooperative relationships.
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