Aromatherapy trials report lower anxiety after heart attack, with highly variable results
Among hospitalized adults with an acute heart attack, pooled anxiety scores favored aromatherapy, but large differences among trials complicate interpretation.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
The review found lower anxiety scores with aromatherapy across trials involving adults with an acute heart attack. Results differed substantially between studies and between types of aromatherapy. The finding concerns hospitalization-related anxiety; the abstract does not establish better heart attack recovery or show that a particular scent is the best choice.
This abstract-based summary lacks treatment schedules, control details and safety results. The review reports very high variation between trials, so the pooled anxiety estimate may not represent an individual hospital patient's experience.
What researchers found
Hospitalization-related anxiety scores
Aromatherapy versus unspecified trial controls; assessment timing not reported. Hedges's g compares group averages in standard deviations, a measure of score spread within groups. Negative values indicate lower anxiety scores with aromatherapy.
Understanding the standardized score
Standardizing the anxiety scores allows results to be pooled on a common scale. The estimate does not specify a change on an individual questionnaire or establish how meaningful the difference was to patients.
A separate blood pressure finding
The review also reported lower systolic blood pressure on a standardized scale. That separate finding should not be read as evidence of fewer cardiac complications, improved survival or lasting cardiovascular benefit.
The original publication
The Efficacy of Aromatherapy in Alleviating Anxiety among Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Hu JY, Lin WC, Hsu TF et al.
Acta Cardiol Sin · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 41018287
- Record checked
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