Objective To analyze the characteristics of the distribution of Chinese Medicine syndromes in rheumatoid arthritis. Methods A total of 1602 rheumatoid arthritis patients from 18 research centers across the country were recruited for the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis and the diagnostic information of traditional Chinese and western medicine. The questionnaire for rheumatoid arthritis syndrome was designed and all information was recorded in the Chinese Medicine clinical database of rheumatoid arthritis. The patients were divided into wind dampness obstruction syndrome

cold dampness obstruction syndrome

dampness heat obstruction syndrome

phlegm stasis obstruction syndrome

qi and blood deficiency syndrome

liver and kidney deficiency syndrome. Patients’ TCM syndrome distribution and combination characteristics were analyzed. Results A total of 1602 questionnaires that met the criteria were collected. Due to lack of diagnosis in some of the questionnaires

in 1418 patients who completed the questionnaire

1236 cases with single syndrome accounted for 86. 88%

of which the highest proportion of dampness heat obstruction syndrome totaled 622 cases

accounting for 43. 86%

followed by cold dampness obstruction syndrome

liver and kidney deficiency syndrome

phlegm stasis obstruction syndrome

wind dampness obstruction syndrome

qi and blood deficiency syndrome

The difference in distribution of different syndromes in RA patients was statistically significant（ P < 0. 05）. Except for the southwest region

all patients in other regions had major symptoms of dampness heat obstruction syndrome. The highest proportion of damp heat obstruction syndrome in the distribution of syndromes in North China was 57. 08%（ 137/240 cases）. The lowest was 25. 48%（ 66/259 cases） in the southwest region. The major syndrome was cold dampness obstruction syndrome of 32. 82%（ 85/259 cases） in the southwest region. There was a statistically significant difference in the distribution of syndromes in each region（ P < 0. 05）. Significant differences were found between the phlegm stasis obstruction syndrome

liver and kidney deficiency syndrome duration and wind dampness obstruction syndrome

wind dampness obstruction syndrome

dampness heat obstruction syndrome

and qi and blood deficiency syndrome（ P < 0. 05）. Conclusion Dampness heat obstruction syndrome is the main syndrome type of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Its geographical distribution is wide

and the course of disease is shorter than that of patients with phlegm stasis obstruction syndrome and liver and kidney deficiency syndrome.