The Efficacy of Aromatherapy in Alleviating Anxiety among Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: The primary aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness of aromatherapy in alleviating hospitalization-related anxiety in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Methods: A search of PubMed, Ovid Medline, Cochrane Library, CINAHL Database, Taiwan Periodical Literature Index System, and Airiti Library was conducted in October 2023. Following the inclusion and exclusion criteria, randomized controlled trials on aromatherapy in patients with AMI aged 18 years or older were identified. The risk of bias in the retrieved trials was assessed using the revised Cochrane Risk-of-Bias Tool for randomized controlled trials.

Results: A total of 14 trials were identified. Aromatherapy was found to significantly reduce anxiety (Hedges's g = -2.087, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -2.8341 to -1.341, p < 0.001), although heterogeneity was notably high (I2 = 96.7%). The effects of different aromatherapies on anxiety were inconsistent. Geranium (Hedges's g = -6.970, 95% CI= -10.283 to -3.675, p < 0.001), M. Chamomile (Hedges's g = -3.735, 95% CI= -6.881 to -0.590, p = 0.002), and C. Aurantium (Hedges's g = -3.614, 95% CI= -5.885 to -1.343, p < 0.001) were found to significantly reduce anxiety. Aromatherapy was found to have a significant effect in lowering systolic blood pressure in these patients (Hedges's g = -0.903, 95% CI = -1.689 to -0.117, p = 0.024).

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that clinical staff can apply aromatherapy in the care of AMI patients to alleviate anxiety and improve the quality of care.