[Clinical research evidence map analysis of TCM in treatment of unstable angina pectoris in elderly patients].

This study aimed to analyze the clinical studies of TCM in treating unstable angina pectoris(UAP) in elderly patients through evidence mapping. The objective was to understand the current status and deficiencies of evidence in this field and to provide directions for future research. A systematic search was conducted across multiple databases, including CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library, covering the period from January 1, 2005 to August 31, 2025. This search included clinical studies on TCM for the treatment of UAP in elderly patients and aimed to present the distribution characteristics of the evidence in tables and charts. Ultimately, a total of 306 randomized controlled trials(RCTs), 6 non-randomized controlled trials(non-RCTs), 4 systematic reviews, 4 observational studies, and 1 guideline were included. The research interest remained stable over the past seven years, reflecting a trend of low attention. The studies involved 54 types of Chinese patent medicines, with Danhong Injection, Salvia Miltiorrhiza Polyphenol Hydrochloride Injection, and Tongxinluo Capsules comprising the largest proportion. Most studies were single-center with small sample sizes(predominantly between 60-120 cases) and short treatment durations(mostly 2-4 weeks). Outcome indicators primarily focused on symptoms/signs and electrocardiograph(ECG), with less emphasis on prognosis, quality-of-life indicators, and TCM syndromes. The overall quality of literature for RCTs, non-RCTs, and systematic reviews/Meta-analyses was generally low, and the guideline development process lacked standardization, which resulted in an extremely low level of evidence quality. The results indicated that, despite the substantial number of clinical studies on the treatment of UAP in elderly patients with TCM, the level of evidence remained constrained by the quality of the literature. Moving forward, it is essential to conduct more large-scale, multi-center, and long-term clinical trials, standardize systematic reviews, and actively develop a core outcome indicator set that integrates the unique characteristics of TCM. These efforts are crucial for advancing the high-quality development of clinical research on TCM in the treatment of UAP in elderly patients.