Objective: To seek a new biochemical index for diagnosis of coronary heart disease (CHD) of shen-Yang deficiency syndrom (CHD-SYD).Methods: Sixty-one patients with CHD were divided into 3 groups according to their TCM Syndrome type

10 patients in the group without Xin-Qi deficiency (Group A)

25 in the group with Xin-Qi deficiency but without Shen-Yang deficiency (Group B) and 26 in the group both with Xin-Qi deficiency and Shen-Yang deficiency (Group C). Levels of 17-hydroxy-corticosteroid in urine (urinary 17-OHCS) per 24 hrs

and serum level of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and high density lipoprotein phospholipid (HDL-PL) in them were determined in synchrostep and compared with those in the control group of 23 healthy aged persons

urinary 17-OHCS per 24 hrs was taken as the diagnostic standard to screen a new index for diagnosis of Shen-Yang deficiency Syndrome

and preliminary appraisal to the index was made.Results: Serum HDL-PL in the CHD-SYD patients(Group C) was 616±157 mg/L

which was obviously lower than that in the patients of Group A and B. With low HDL-PL (<650 mg/L) used as the index to diagnose CHD-SYD

the sensitivity was 73%

the specificity 86% and the accuracy 80%.Conclusion: HDL-PL <650 mg/L could be adopted as an index for CHD-SYD diagnosis

which is simple and practical.