[Emotional seeking in patients with essential hypertension and normal individuals]

Relationship between psychological factors and essential hypertension is a proven subject. This research was aimed to study the levels of Emotional Sensation Seeking in hypertensive patients and healthy Individual. In this study, 183 hypertensive patients and 195 healthy individuals completed the Emotional Seeking Scale-form V [SSS - V]. Then, based on the final scores, 100 hypertensive cases [50 men and 50 Women] referred to Tabriz Madani Heart Hospital, and 100 healthy Individuals were selected by available sampling [age range 22-6 1, mean 39]. Hypertensive men had higher scores than hypertensive women in thrill and adventure seeking, while healthy men had higher scores than healthy women in boredom susceptibility. Healthy women had higher scores than hypertensive women in thrill and adventure seeking. Identification of individuals with emotional seeking features helps to identify susceptible patients to essential hypertension for preventive procedures

Reduction of left ventricular hypertrophy by sirolimus in kidney transplant recipients: a nonrandomized clinical trial

Persistence of left ventricular hypertrophy [LVH] in renal transplant recipients is associated with unfavorable outcomes. Calcineurin-inhibitor [CNI] nephrotoxicity is a major cause of morbidity and mortality after kidney transplantation. In this study we compared sirolimus [SRL] with calcineurin-inhibitor as primary immunosuppressants for the attenuation of left ventricular hypertrophy in renal transplantation recipients. In this prospective cohort study done in Shariati Hospital in 2010, we evaluated the effects of sirolimus and CNI on LVH of 55 renal transplant recipients. The cases [19] received sirolimus while the controls [36] received CNI while being matched for age and duration of transplantation. Data regarding blood pressure [BP], hemoglobin, serum creatinine, uric acid and lipid concentrations were assessed and changes in left ventricular [LV] mass were evaluated by echocardiography over a one-year follow-up. Left ventricular mass significantly decreased [P=0.0001] in the SRL group but blood pressure did not differ between the two groups. LV mass and LV mass index both decreased significantly [P<0.05] but the difference was not associated with changes in BP. The difference in interventricular septal thickness at end diastole [IVSD] and posterior wall diameter [PWD] were significant [P<0.05] in the SRL group but the difference in end diastolic diameter [EDD] was not significant. Conversion from CNI to SRL-based immunosuppressive therapy in RTRs is safe and SRL may decrease LVH. SRL seems to be safe and improve renal function without cardiac compromise in kidney transplant recipients