Effect of aromatherapy on quality of life in maintenance hemodialysis patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Objective

Aromatherapy has been used for patients on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD), but the outcomes are still controversial. Thus, we conducted this study to systematically evaluate the effect of aromatherapy on the quality of life of patients on MHD.

Methods

We searched the PubMed, Embays, Scopus, Web of Science, and CNKI databases for randomized controlled trials that evaluated the use of aromatherapy in dialysis patients and reported at least one outcome of interest.

Results

Twenty-two relevant studies were included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis revealed that aromatherapy significantly increased subjective sleep quality (a lower score indicates better sleep quality) [standardized mean difference (SMD) = −1.52, 95% CI (−2.38, −0.67), p < 0.01] and reduced fatigue [SMD = −1.14, 95% CI (−1.95, −0.33), p = 0.01], anxiety [SMD = −1.38, 95% CI (−2.09, −0.67), p < 0.01], symptoms of restless legs syndrome [RLS; SMD = −1.71, 95% CI (−2.09, −1.33), p < 0.01], and arteriovenous fistula puncture pain [SMD= −1.56, 95% CI (−2.60, −0.52), p < 0.01].

Conclusions

Aromatherapy may be used as a novel complementary and alternative therapy to improve sleep quality and reduce fatigue, anxiety, symptoms of RLS, and arteriovenous fistula puncture pain in patients on MHD.

Keywords:

• Aromatherapy
• meta-analysis
• essential oils
• inhalation
• hemodialysis
• restless legs syndrome
• fatigue
• anxiety
• sleep quality
• randomized controlled trials
• integrative medicine

Acknowledgments

The authors thank American Journal Experts (AJE) for the language editing service.

Author contributions

Conceptualization: Yong Zhang, Cong Zhang, and Wen-Jun Gou

Data curation: Yong Zhang and Wen-Jun Gou

Formal analysis: Yong Zhang and Wen-Jun Gou

Investigation: Cong Zhang and Wen-Jun Gou

Methodology: Yong Zhang, Cong Zhang, and Wen-Jun Gou

Project administration: Yong Zhang, Cong Zhang, and Wen-Jun Gou

Resources: Yong Zhang, Cong Zhang, and Wen-Jun Gou

Software: Yong Zhang and Wen-Jun Gou

Supervision: Yong Zhang, Cong Zhang, and Wen-Jun Gou

Validation: Yong Zhang, Cong Zhang, Yong-Fang Yang, and Hang Mu

Visualization: Yong Zhang, Cong Zhang, Yong-Fang Yang, and Hang Mu

Roles/Writing – original draft: Yong Zhang and Wen-Jun Gou

Writing – review and editing: Yong Zhang and Wen-Jun Gou

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Data are available on reasonable request from the authors.