Efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine for post-COVID-19 syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Background: Post-COVID-19 syndrome, characterized by persistent symptoms such as fatigue, dyspnea, cough, insomnia, and exercise intolerance, poses a significant challenge to global healthcare systems. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been used to manage post-viral syndromes, but high-quality evidence for its effectiveness in post-COVID-19 recovery is limited. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) in treating post-COVID-19 syndrome through a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods: Five electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and CNKI) were systematically searched up to March 15, 2025. RCTs comparing CHM with placebo or usual care in patients with confirmed post-COVID-19 syndrome were included. Primary outcomes were symptom severity measured by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS); secondary outcomes included relief rates of cough, fatigue, chest tightness, dyspnea, insomnia, and exercise intolerance. Data were pooled using a random-effects model, and heterogeneity was assessed using I2 statistics. Results: Ten RCTs involving 2401 patients were included. CHM showed a greater reduction in VAS scores compared to controls (MD = −1.03; 95% CI −2.10 to 0.03; P = 0.0577), with higher heterogeneity (I2 = 92%). Although this result did not reach conventional statistical significance, it suggests a potentially meaningful clinical trend favoring CHM. Subgroup analysis indicated both short-term and long-term CHM treatments improved VAS scores, with a stronger effect in long-term treatment. CHM significantly improved chest tightness (RR = 1.40; 95% CI 1.21–1.61; P < 0.0001; I2 = 0%) and insomnia (RR = 1.23; 95% CI 1.03–1.47; P = 0.0216; I2 = 0%). A trend toward improvement was observed in fatigue (RR = 1.58, 95% CI 0.95–2.64; P = 0.0781) and dyspnea (RR = 1.39, 95% CI 0.99–1.95; P = 0.0554), although these results did not reach statistical significance. No significant difference was observed in terms of 6-min walking distance (MD = 13.95 m, 95% CI −11.64 to 39.55; P = 0.2853). Adverse event rates were comparable between the herbal and control groups (RR = 0.72, 95% CI 0.49–1.07; P = 0.1052). Conclusions: This meta-analysis indicates that Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) may help relieve certain post-COVID-19 symptoms, especially chest tightness and insomnia. Trends toward benefit were also noted for fatigue and dyspnea, though without statistical significance. Given the non-significant VAS results and high heterogeneity, these findings should be interpreted cautiously. Further large-scale, high-quality trials are needed to validate these outcomes and optimize treatment strategies. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/home, CRD420251016442.