Artificial intelligence is backing the accuracy of the ancient Chinese medical practice of looking at a patient’s tongue to diagnose diseases, a new study shows.
What the ancient Chinese did: Chinese herbalists dating back to 2,000 years ago examined people’s tongues for signs of disease. They believed that the tongue’s color, shape and thickness can indicate various medical conditions.
A yellow tongue is reportedly typically seen in diabetics, while a purple tongue with a thick, greasy coating is often seen in cancer patients. Those with a red, crooked tongue likely suffer from acute stroke.
What’s next: The resulting high accuracy suggests the efficiency of the ancient Chinese practice. Researchers say there is potential for further refinement.
“It is possible to diagnose with 80% accuracy more than 10 diseases that cause a visible change in tongue colour. In our study we achieved a 94% accuracy with three diseases, so the potential is there to fine tune this research even further,” said MTU and UniSA Adjunct Associate Professor Ali Al-Naji.
Modern technologies can also expedite the communication of diagnostic results. In the study, a voicemail was sent to the patients or their nominated health providers specifying the tongue color and the associated disease.
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