Investigating the effectiveness of emotional regulation techniques along with drug therapy on reducing blood pressure, anxiety symptoms, depression and hostility in patients with hypertension compared to drug therapy alone

Objective: Blood pressure-related diseases are the most influenced by psychological factors. The present study was done with the aim of investigating the effectiveness of emotional regulation techniques along with drug therapy on blood pressure reduction, anxiety symptoms, depression and hostility in patients with hypertension compared to drug therapy alone. Materials and Methods: The present study is a quasi-experimental study with pre-test design, post-test design and control group. The population of this study was men and women between the age of 20 to 70 years with hypertension and resident in Tehran province in 2019. Among patients with hypertension referred to Ayatollah Taleghani Training Center Clinic, 30 persons were selected accessibly and were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The intervention program of cognitive emotion regulation techniques training was done during 8 sessions in the experimental group. The instruments used in this research were Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Spielberger's State-Trait Anger Expression inventory (STAXI). Results: Analysis of covariance showed that there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups after the intervention in the level of blood pressure, anxiety, depression and total anger expression index at p <0.05 level. Effect size was 0.39, 0.26, 0.21, and 0.21 in depression, anxiety, blood pressure, and total anger expression index, respectively. Conclusion: Specialists in cardiovascular diseases and health psychology area can employ cognitive emotion regulation techniques to improve the physical and psychological problems of individuals with hypertension including blood pressure, anxiety, depression and ange

The Effect of Everolimus on Subependymal Giant Cell Astrocytoma (SEGA) in Children with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex

Objective: Subependymal Giant Cell Astrocytomas (SEGAs) are slow-growing glioneuronal tumors typically found around the ventricles of the brain, particularly near the foramen of Monro in 15%-20% of patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). Surgical resection is the standard treatment for these symptomatic tumors. The mTOR inhibitor everolimus can be regarded as an alternative treatment of SEGAs due to the complications of surgery.      Materials & Methods: This pre- and post-treatment clinical trial was performed on 14 children (eight females and six males with a mean age of 10 years) previously diagnosed with TSC based on the diagnostic criteria. The subjects received oral everolimus at a dose of 3 mg/m2 for at least six months. The present study primarily aimed to specify the effect of this medication on SEGA volume change before and after treatment. Secondary objectives were to determine the effect of this drug on renal angiomyolipoma (AML), skin lesions, and seizures in TSC patients.  Results: Half of  the patients  had more than 30% of volume loss in SEGA; in 28.5% of them the response rate of ≥ 50% reduction in SEGA volume was achieved (P=0.01). Moreover, 92.9% of the patients had ≥ 50% decrease in the frequency of seizures (P=0.000). The response rates in AML and skin lesion were 14.2% and 50%, respectively.    Conclusion: Everolimus significantly reduced the seizure frequency and SEGA volume in the subjects, hence, a potential alternative treatment for symptomatic SEGA in TSC patients