Efficacy and Safety of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Alleviating Symptoms Associated with Myocardial Bridge: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Jiaqi Ren¹Teng Feng¹Xize Wu^1*Kaifeng Yu²Qiuying Wu¹Yuxi Huang¹Yue Li^2*Lihong Gong^2*

• ¹Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenyang, China
• ²Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenyang, China

Background: With the advancement of technology, the detection rate of myocardial bridge (MB) has gradually increased and attracted attention. However, management options for symptomatic MB are limited, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has emerged as a potential complementary approach for managing symptoms in MB patients. This study conducted a meta-analysis by pooling data from clinical randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess the efficacy and safety of TCM in alleviating symptoms in patients with MB.Methods: RCTs of TCM for MB were searched in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CBM, Wanfang, VIP, and CNKI databases from their inception to April 1, 2025. Patients diagnosed with MB via angiography were included in the study. The intervention group received either TCM alone (TCM-alone) or TCM combined with biomedicine (TCM+BM), while the control group received conventional biomedicine alone. Two investigators independently screened the literature according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The risk of bias in the included studies was assessed using Stata/MP 18.0 software. A meta-analysis was then conducted using RevMan 5.4.1 software to evaluate outcomes such as angina efficacy, electrocardiogram efficacy, TCM syndrome score efficacy, and the Seattle Angina Scale (SAQ). Subgroup analysis was performed according to the treatment regimen and duration of the intervention group.Results: A total of 18 publications were included, containing 1,224 participants, with 613 in the intervention group and 611 in the control group. Meta-analysis results showed that TCM significantly improved angina efficacy [RR=1.30, 95% CI (1.21, 1.40), P<0.00001], reduced angina attack frequency [MD=-0.96 episodes per week, 95% CI (-1.32, -0.59), P<0.00001], improved electrocardiogram efficacy [RR=1.31, 95% CI (1.20, 1.42), P<0.