eCAM 2009;6(S1)43–49 doi:10.1093/ecam/nep092 Review Current Researches on the Methods of Diagnosing Sasang Constitution: An Overview Si-Woo Lee1,*, Eun-Su Jang1,*, Jeon Lee2 and Jong Yeol Kim1 1Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine and 2Department of Oriental Biomedical Engineering, Daegu Haany University Sasang constitution diagnosis has traditionally been conducted by a Sasang constitutional medicine (SCM) doctor who examines the external appearance, temperament and various symptoms of an individual and then collectively analyzes this information to determine their own constitutions. However, because this process is subjective and not quantitative, many researchers have been attempting to develop objective and reasonable methods of determining constitutions. In Korea, even though a wide range of research regarding SCM has been con- ducted, most of the work has not been revealed internationally. So in this review, the authors have searched the Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine, as well as other Korean domestic journal databases and Pubmed for research regarding modernized constitution diagnosis methods so to provide the understanding of current research state and outlook for future research. Keywords: body shape analysis – facial analysis – modernized constitution diagnosis methods – questionnaires – Sasang constitutional medicine Introduction According to Donguisusebowon (longevity and life preser- vation in oriental medicine), all people belong to one of the four constitutions based on the four emotional ener- gies of sorrow, anger, gladness and enjoyment, which are derived from Confucianism. It is possible to classify an individual’s constitution based on their external appear- ance, temperament and various symptoms (1). External appearance includes the body shape, as well as facial configuration and skin tactile. Temperament includes personality and abilities corresponding with the four emotional energies. Symptoms can be physiological or pathological. Spontaneously, an individual’s constitu- tion is not a simple conception, but a systematic *These authors contributed equally to this work. For reprints and all correspondence: Jong Yeol Kim, OMD, PhD, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (KIOM), 461-24 Jeonmin-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-811, Republic of Korea. Tel: +82-42-868- 9489; Fax: +82-42-868-9480; E-mail: ssmed@kiom.re.kr classification with its own unique psychological and phys- ical traits (2). The Sasang constitutional medicine (SCM), dividing human beings into four different constitution groups, is similar to Ayurveda, the traditional constitutional medicine of India, in which the individual’s constitution is divided into three groups, based on their external appearance, skin condition, walking and eating style and emotional traits (3). While Western medicine focuses on diseases, Ayurveda and SCM have put the priority on the human being itself (4). Comparing these two constitutional medicines within the framework of disease prevention and quality-of-life (QOL) evaluation, Tae- eumin (TE type) was found to be similar to Kapha type, Soyangin (SY type) to Pitta type, and Soeumin (SE type) to Vata type (5). Similar to Ayurveda, SCM is also fully dependent on the interpretation and the opinion of a doctor. So, to overcome this drawback, many SCM- related researchers have attempted to develop modernized diagnostic tools to support objective and quantitative constitution diagnosis. 2009 The Author(s). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc/2.0/uk/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.